


Fashion Upgrade

by Soap_Lady



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bustier salt, Damocles salt, Lila salt, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Mendeleiev Sugar, New Class AU, New class, Post-Ladybug AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 101,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25432219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soap_Lady/pseuds/Soap_Lady
Summary: After the events of Ladybug, Lila goes to Bustier and Damocles with a sob story about how she's afraid Marinette will retaliate against her. Bustier and Damocles decide to move Francois Dupont's "Everyday Ladybug" to a new class where she won't be a discipline problem any more.The lucky teacher? Mendeleiev.New class, new friends, old schemes and a group project worth twenty percent of their yearly grade.
Comments: 401
Kudos: 2259





	1. A Duel? Perish the thought!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Industrial_Lace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Industrial_Lace/gifts).



> Hello! This is cross-posted from Tumblr for everyone who'd like to read my story in one sitting. Enjoy!

_**Chap 1: A Duel? Perish the thought!** _

“And that’s why I wanted to talk to you today,” Lila confessed, the girl kept her eyes down to her lap, hands fidgeting with the trim of her shorts. It was all signs of someone submissive and pitiful and the two adults couldn’t help but pity the girl. She looked up to them, green eyes shone with unshed tears as if they held all the world’s wisdom and could solve all her problems.

M. Damocles and Mlle Bustier looked at each other. Each matching looks of concern and pity towards the young girl that seemed to be holding herself up to appear brave. They were sure that if the girl felt comfortable she would have been a sobbing mess. The circumstances were quite delicate and it had to be done in a way to mitigate the circumstances. 

“That will be all for now, Mlle Rossi. Don’t worry Mlle Bustier and I need to discuss how to deal with this matter.” M Damocles spoke, clearing his throat. “In private please.”

“Oh course,” The Italian girl nodded, scrambling from her seat wiping errant tears before clasping her hands to her chest. “Thank you so much for everything…but please…for my sake. Don’t repeat anything I’ve told you. I would hate to cause any problems for…anyone.” She spoke worryingly, giving a little nod before scurrying out of the room closing the door with a gentle click.

Now alone, Bustier and Damocles took a moment to look at the door where Lila Rossi had scurried out nervously from before looking at each other. Mlle Bustier sighed sitting down on the now recently vacated seat Lila had used. Elbows on the table she rested her head into her hands, the shadows making her expression pretty unreadable as she tried to process what Lila told her. One thought was repeated in her mind.

_Where had she gone wrong?_

Her first instinct is to tell Lila that she was lying. How could Marinette of all people be so mean to a fellow student? Caline’s own star pupil? How much time had Caline spent on ensuring that Marinette understood that to be a star pupil it required action, to be dependable, to be good to one another. Four years of being exemplary and yet, Marinette had scared a fellow classmate to the point that the girl came to her and the principal terrified of being bullied in retaliation because of her illness. A condition that the girl couldn’t control and was frankly a disability. What on earth happened to Marinette? After everything Chloe had done, it would be impossible to imagine that the girl would do anything against another student. Yet here they were.

Was it the Agreste boy? For all the ideas her students placed on her, Caline wasn’t blind. She knew the who’s who of the class, including who liked whom. Honestly everyone knew that her favorite student had a crush on Adrien Agreste, except for Adrien himself which was surprising. Marinette is an awful liar and her face almost blushes on command if Adrien so much as speaks to her. Caline also noticed that Lila seemed to be developing feelings for Adrien as well. The boy himself was harder to pin down. He treated everyone equally and was so meek, it was difficult to ascertain if he ever thought of anyone in that sense. Honestly? She would be doing Marinette a great favor if she were to nip that love triangle in the bud. Such stories were better off in television, not in a classroom.

Principal Damocles leaned back on his seat and found himself torn. On one hand, he was fond of the Dupain-Cheng girl. Besides her tendencies of being a bit late sometimes, she was an exemplary student. Good grades, volunteers when she can, very involved in different projects around the school. She was a class representative as well and had a good reputation amongst the student body. On the other, he didn’t want trouble with the Italian Embassy. Mme. Rossi had an important position, far more influential and important than a bakery, no matter how delicious the pain aux raisins was. What if they let Marinette go free and she does bully Lila? How would an Ambassador think if she heard that Lila took the courage to speak to him and yet nothing happened? It would be a political disaster, especially if the school board gets involved.

M. Damocles sighed, combing his beard in thought. “For the sake of classroom harmony and the emotional well-being of everyone involved. It would be best to move Mlle. Dupain-Cheng to another homeroom.”

Bustier slumped in her seat regretfully. “I just don’t know how I could have failed her. Yes, she couldn’t have known about Lila’s disease but she didn’t have to disrupt class by accusing Lila of framing her. I think it’s better to keep the two girls apart. It’s a shame; I thought they could have been such good friends if Marinette had put her petty jealousy aside.”

“You’ve not failed her Mlle Bustier; the age of teenagers are very difficult and sometimes these situations happen.” M. Damocles attempted to console the young teacher. “Besides, this outcome is better than being expelled and I’m sure she’ll be grateful. Give her some time, I’m sure she will thank you.”

Caline groaned. “So there’s only one thing to decide.”

Damocles raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

She managed a tiny bitter smile. A far cry from her usual cheerful grin. “Which one of my colleagues gets the bad news.”

*****

M. Damocles and Mlle Bustier joined the rest of the teaching staff in the faculty lounge. There were some class representatives inside going over plans and trips so the principal and teacher took time to chat amicably with some other teachers asking them to stay behind. Within ten minutes or so the students thanked their respective teachers and left the lounge, no doubt ready to put in action the plans that were approved. Now alone with just the faculty, the principal cleared his throat catching the attention of the teachers.

“Everyone, I have a grave matter to discuss and I need your cooperation for a few minutes.”

His coworkers looked at him expectantly and he went on. “We need to move a problem student out of Mlle. Bustier’s class to improve the learning environment of both her classroom and the person in question.”

The other teachers collectively groaned. Although they tried to refrain from saying so out loud, Caline’s students were collectively known as “The Akuma Class”. Some had even been akumatized multiple times. Each teacher began to wonder who was being moved; boisterous Kim? Perennial problem Chloe? Outspoken Alix?

None of the teachers wanted to get stuck with one of Caline’s rejects.

The Art teacher raised his hand politely. “Which student needs to be relocated?”

Damocles took a deep breath and said, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

All Hell broke loose.

*****

“Marinette? You honestly think _Marinette_ is a problem student?” Fred Harprele wanted to know. “Her family donates day old pastries to homeless shelters. She made my hat!”

“She made sure the goth girl was in the class picture this year!”

“She helps clean out the art club after every session. Do you know how much spray paint Alix Kubel uses?” The art teacher exclaimed in disbelief. “Or how Nathaniel uses so much medium if he’s in one of his moods?”

“Is today the opposite day?” The drama teacher asked aloud. “Are we doing a rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Has Pan hit you too to speak such words?”

“Forgive me for saying so, good Damocles, but the girl is a noble and honorable soul,” M. D’Argencourt spoke on Marinette’s behalf. “What problem could that good soul be to anyone?”

“A new student, Lila Rossi, claims Marinette is frightening her. She’s been very disruptive since Lila came back from Achu,” Bustier informed them then covered her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say anything out loud. She didn’t want the other teachers to think less of Marinette simply because the girl was going through a rough patch.

All of the teachers fell silent. Most of them knew or at least knew of the girl. She claimed to know several famous celebrities but she’d also gotten a well-liked student expelled before recanting her story.

The room was quiet until D’Argencourt cried out, “I would gladly duel all of Thee for a chance to have that maligned young maiden in my class!”

“A Duel? Perish the thought! As if I would allow you to claim advantage in any terrain foul knave!” The drama teacher spoke out indignantly.

“I say a Rock, Paper, Scissor tournament!” The art teacher declared. “The best one naturally should get to have Marinette in their class.”

“You cheat at that game,” D'Argencourt snapped. “I wouldn’t even use an actual rapier, we could use the one students use when they are starting to learn. So no one could get cut.”

“Your fencing students get bruises sometimes. Not happening.” The math teacher shook her head at the suggestion.

One after another the teachers argued over how to get Marinette to go to their class. Or others attempted to state reasons as to why they were obviously the best fit to have Marinette in their class. The art and drama teachers both argued on which one would have a better claim to the arts to allow a creative student like Marinette to shine. Others were trying to figure out a way that would be accepted as a tournament. Games like Jenga, Horse, or even a race were called out before being rejected because D'Argencourt and the P.E. teacher would have an unfair advantage as they were physically fit.

“If I may ask, what claims does Miss Rossi have against Marinette? I’ve worked with her for volunteering at the local children’s hospital and she’s a wonderful girl.” The history teacher asked which caused the other teachers to heap praises towards Marinette. Damocles kept his motives to himself while deciding the best way to choose who was so sure to “straighten’ the girl out”, so to speak.

*****

In the end there was no duel (M. D’Argencourt was quite put out) but a draw. Damocles wrote everyone’s name on slips of paper, put them in M. Harprele’s hat and drew a name with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and read the name.

“Mme. Mendeleiv.”

The other teachers groaned in disappointment and jealousy but politely congratulated the science teacher.

Caline walked over to her colleague. “I hope you don’t come to regret your decision, Demeter,” she joked weakly.

“I doubt that,” Mendeleive answered crisply. She looked down at the younger teacher over her glasses. Her icy blue eyes pierced the redhead with an unvoiced question.

_Will you?_


	2. Cute But Practical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets here new class, her old class laments her loss, and her rival is also her seatmate.

**Ch 2: Cute, But Practical**

“Marinette, sweetie can you come down here?” Sabine Cheng asked her daughter as she left principal Damocles at the mercy of her husband.

Many would immediately think that Tom Dupain was the human embodiment of a Great Dane. Large, seemingly intimidating but overall gentle. That is where they are wrong. Tom Dupain was not a Great Dane; Tom was the human embodiment of a pitbull. Pitbulls who were hard working farm dogs, also called the “nanny” dogs due to their gentle disposition to those they cared for. Pitbulls that would gladly rip off the flesh of a man who hurt their family, like how Tom wished he could do to the principal who sat before him. M Damocles tried to not let his nerves show as he was subjected to the scrutiny of the large baker. If asked, Damocles would say that Sabine Cheng was the scary one of the Dupain-Cheng household. Yet M Damocles was learning that Sabine wasn’t the only one, but Tom could also be seen as scary in a different way.

Sabine Cheng was a tiger, elegant and powerful; who would have no qualms stalking after her prey and tearing them up with her claws and fangs. One didn’t simply cross swords verbally or physically with a woman like Sabine. After all he remembered seeing her threaten a man with a pizza paddle on live tv. Tom Dupain, he was now learning, was a force like his wife but in a different way. Sabine would be warm but one would always have the slight awareness that she could be dangerous if pressed. Tom didn’t have that, he had that large gentle giant demeanor that M Damocles had always associated with the large man was a pushover. It seems that when needed Tom would become a ferocious guard dog ready to defend his family. M Damocles noted that he would need to phrase the situation delicately before both parents descended on him.

The tension of the room was suffocating, M Damocles couldn’t help the slight shake to his leg as he took a sip of tea offered by his host. With what appeared as an eternity M Damocles saw Sabine Cheng leave the little hallway with Marinette all but plastered at her side. He noticed how the girl seemed to tense up the second she saw him, the slight narrow of her eyes as if bracing herself for something unpleasant. It seemed that Tom noticed as well as he lifted a hand for the girl to join him on the sofa. That was how M Damocles found himself, on a seat opposite of the Dupain-Cheng family. Both parents on opposite sides of their daughter who appeared quite upset and it was targeted at him. Which meant that both parents were glaring at M Damocles with a ‘fix this or else’ glare which did nothing for the principal’s nerves.

“I came here to speak in regards to the events of today.” M Damocles brought up breaking the silence, he cleared his throat a bit making the girl look up to him.

“So you’ve decided to keep me expelled?” Marinette asked which got M Damocles twin glares poised at him.

“No, not that Miss Dupain-Cheng.” M Damocles spoke quickly trying to defuse the glares. “I would like to begin with an apology.”

“With all due respect it shouldn’t end with just an apology.” Tom spoke up, one hand was holding his daughter’s while the other reached from behind and touched his wife’s shoulder in a show of solidarity. “We all have our flaws, but I can proudly say that my wife and I have brought our daughter up with good morals and principles. She’s also had a wonderful record before now, so I find it strange that you would jump straight into expelling her over something like cheating an exam.”

“Especially given the time of year, it wasn’t a midterm, or a final, or a state exam.” Sabine added coldly hugging Marinette as the girl leaned into the protective embrace of her mother. Her head resting by Sabine’s shoulder, the girl’s hair was also being ruffled by her dad. It was the picture perfect image of loving parents defending their child.

“I do admit I was a bit hasty, and I apologize that Miss Dupain-Cheng had suffered because of my flaw; but we’ve come up with a solution that might be better.” M Damocles spoke setting the tea cup down trying hard not to fidget under the view of the two parents.

“What is it?” Marinette asked, feeling dread at the 'solution’. After an awful day like today, she didn’t want to go back and deal with Lila again.

“We were thinking of having Marinette move to Mme Mendeliev’s class,” M Damocles spoke up seeing how Marinette just perked up at the teacher. “She’s a more experienced teacher and wouldn’t allow situations like these confusions to happen. Since your daughter is as much a victim of everything; we believe moving her to Mendeliev would be best.” M Damocles spoke carefully with his wording to appease the two parents and the problematic child, if she believed that he was on her side she might be more open minded to the discipline Mlle Mendeliev would provide.

“What do you think, Marinette?” Sabine asked Marinette peering down to her daughter. A part of her was annoyed at the suggestion, her daughter was wrongfully accused and they are moving her from the class. On the other hand, Sabine had the feeling that Mlle Bustier wasn’t truly as amazing as her daughter spoke of and this example just showed how the young teacher has failed her daughter. It might be best if she was away from that classroom, especially with all the akumas that come from it.

“We’ll agree with your decision Marinette.” Tom added in giving her daughter the ability to choose. “If you don’t want to go back to the school that’s ok as well. Your mother and I are ready to look over other good schools for you to transfer in as well.” He mentioned the other school deliberately, M Damocles did not elicit the ideas and values Tom wanted for his daughter to imitate; but she might still want to be with friends.

“If it’s to Mme Mendeliev’s class I’ll do it.” Marinette decided feeling blessed to have her parent’s vouching for her, and letting the final decision be hers. She wasn’t going to let the principal or Mlle Bustier do something like this to her again; her papa and mamam even had her side. “But,only if it’s Mme Mendeliev.”

“Good way standing up for yourself sweetie.” Sabine praised letting her daughter’s warning hit the principal. “So the transfer would happen immediately?”

“Yes Mme Cheng, come Monday she can report directly to Mlle Mendeliev’s class.” M Damocles nodded quickly ready to lay down platitudes in hopes of relieving the tension of the room.

“Well that is all decided and all, we thank you for coming to our home today M Damocles.” Tom spoke up politely but M Damocles took the subtle hint that he should leave and the two men traded pleasantries while M Damocles quickly left the bakery still with the eerie feeling of being watched by the large and otherwise gentle baker.

*****

Monday was almost unfairly beautiful and Marinette was awake even before her alarm went off. She’d spent the weekend working on her designs and, to be honest, sobbing in her parent’s arms. Despite Damocles’ assurances she still felt like she was being punished for something she hadn’t done. Alya and her friends hadn’t really been in touch. Perhaps they were all feeling ashamed for doubting her. She didn’t reach out to them. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts and, to be honest, didn’t think she could talk to anyone about her situation without crying.

Maman and Papa had given her a wonderful pep talk about how she would be away from her bullies and the stress they caused her. Papa reminded her she had the strength and bravery of the best bakers. Maman reminded her she could judo flip any opponent and could throw a punch without hurting her hand.

“We believe in you, sweetheart,” Sabine said while giving her taller daughter a hug. “No liar, bully, or spineless principal will change that. And if you decide you’d rather change schools, we can do that too.” She grinned almost evilly at her daughter. “It might be time to teach you martial arts again. Next time you have to deal with a nasty bully you have my permission to punch them in the face!”

The two Cheng laughed at the image and Tom found himself a bit afraid and incredibly proud of the women in his life.

“I’m sorry we fell for that girl’s lie, even for a minute,” Papa apologized. He laid his hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him. He smiled back. “Even if there is such a thing as a lying disease it doesn’t explain stealing the answers or planting that necklace in your locker. It’s probably a fake anyway.”

Marinette hugged both of her parents tightly. “You’re the best! I’m glad you’ll always be on my side.” She pulled away. “I’m going to my room. I think it’s good for me to be alone for a little while. Maybe I’ll design something.”

“We’ll call you for dinner!” Sabine and Tom waved at their little girl. Once she was out of sight they groaned and looked at each other.

“That school has a lot to answer for,” the petite woman told her husband.

“And that liar girl, model or no,” Tom replied. He smiled at his wife. “But that’s later. For now I’m going to make some welcome macarons for Marinette’s new class.”

*****

Once Marinette was safely out of sight the hopeful, optimistic smile dropped off her face and she fiddled with her hands. “Tikki? Do you…do you think this is a good idea? Changing classes instead of changing schools? Should I have fought harder to stay in Bustier’s class?”

She’d thought her teacher had cared about her, which was why she tried so hard to be the role model Bustier demanded. Then again, she’s also accepted Lila’s excuses about medical issues without asking for a doctor’s note. Was her favorite teacher really discarding her like a disobedient pet? Has the last four years meant nothing?

“Oh, Marinette!” Tikki zipped out her Chosen’s purse and hovered near her face. “I know you’re upset, but at least you’re away from Lila and Chloe.” She booped her Chosen. “Plus, you won’t be class representative any more! You’ll have more free time to work on commissions for your website.”

The girl brightened, then dimmed once again. “But,” her toe dug into the carpet. “I won’t be around Alya and Nino as much! Or Adrien!” She looked at Tikki with wide sad eyes. “They were the only people who believed in me and didn’t get akumatized. Who’ll protect them?”

The kwami sighed. She loved Marinette, truly, but the girl gave too much of herself without receiving, or even asking for anything back. “Adrien, Nino and Alya aren’t helpless. They can look out for themselves. Adrien knows Lila’s a liar and I’m sure Nino and Alya will come around. Then they can convince the rest of your friends.” Tikki thought for a minute then continued. “Maybe outing Lila would get her akumatized but if your friends believe you over her they can just ignore her.”

Marinette smiled, a small one but genuine. “That’s true. Less dramatic but still satisfying.” She wrinkled her brow, still not convinced.

Tikki wanted to say Bustier should never have announced the anonymous note to the class and Damocles should have done a thorough investigation. Plus, expulsion was overkill. She was less and less impressed with her owner’s school every day but wasn’t sure it was her place to say so out loud just yet. If Marinette’s troubles continued with Mme. Mendeleiev, she might suggest a change of schools.

“Besides, it’s not like you’ll never see your friends again,” Tikki reminded her. “There’s video chats and after school hangouts and texting of course.” She met her charge eye to eye. “If they really care about you, they’ll make an effort to stay in your life.”

Marinette nuzzled her kwami. “You’re very wise,” she grinned.

Tikki giggled. “I know! Now, how about designing a new outfit for yourself? You hardly ever wear skirts and you have such pretty legs.”

The designer laughed. “Because I’m so clumsy I might fall and my skirt would go over my head.” She thought about the idea and then grabbed her sketchbook. “But maybe some built-in shorts so it becomes a skort! Cute, but practical!”

Tikki did a loop de loop, pleased her Chosen was feeling better. “Maybe a navy skort, with some floral embroidery?”

“Yes! And maybe make the embroidery pink! Then pair the skort with a matching pink top but with navy embroidery…”

*****

The bluenette was met at the front steps by two teachers; one young and looked both cheerful and sad at the same time, the other middle aged and stoic but not unkind.

“Good morning, Marinette,” Mlle. Bustier said gently and cautiously. She was worried that her former star student might cause a scene that would upset the rest of the class and really, stress on a Monday was a terrible way to start the week.

“Marinette,” was all Mme. Mendeleiv said.

The stern woman looked over her new student. She showed no signs of crying; her eyes weren’t red and there were no tell-tale tear tracks or traces of insomnia. The girl looked to be more or less normal unless one paid close attention to her expression, especially her eyes. The future designer was calm and resolute. Perhaps she had just resigned herself to the fact she was now in the class of “the meanest teacher in school”. Maybe she’d asked for the change herself after Damocles’ little scene in the locker room.

The dark-haired girl was normally optimistic and cheerful but Mendeleiev’s keen eyes picked up a lingering hurt in the girl’s bluebell eyes. Caline had thrown away her teacher’s pet when the child no longer did everything she was told or became inconvenient. Hmph. Protecting a girl anyone with a working synapse could tell was a liar versus a bright, hard-working child who’d been in Bustier’s class for four years. Mendeleiev hoped her colleague was ashamed.

Bustier leaned down and addressed her former student in the same tone used for small children and feral animals. “Principal Damocles told us he went to your house and explained the situation. I’m so sorry this happened. Are..are you okay with the change, Marinette?”

A bit late to worry about it now, the girl wanted to retort but stopped herself. She didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with her new homeroom teacher and if Mlle. Bustier wanted to get rid of her and not Lila then Marinette would let her. 

The designer squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I’m fine, Mlle. Bustier. Mme. Mendeleiev is a good teacher and I already have friends in her class. It’ll be good to spend more time with them.” The teen tried and failed to get the displeasure out of her voice. I’m proud, I’m confident, I’m Marinette!

The young woman was almost unnervingly calm, almost blank and as relieved as Bustier was not to have to comfort the pigtailed girl she was a bit disappointed. There was no crying, no pleading, no tearful “I’ll miss you, Mlle. Bustier!” Has the last four years meant nothing?

Mendeleiev shifted impatiently. “We’ve decided to tell the students we’re moving you due to crowding. Bustier has fifteen students and I have thirteen. It’s believable and spares everyone’s feelings.” Especially Caline’s. She looked Marinette over, pleased she had her emotions in check, at least in public. “Come along, Marinette.”

The girl stood still for a second before her brain caught up to her body and she began to move. She stopped when a thought occurred to her. “Can-can I say good-bye?”

“Principal Damocles decided a clean break was better for everyone involved. I’ll explain the situation to them and say your goodbyes for you ” There would be a huge uproar in the class, tears and shouting and Bustier was certain those closest to Marinette would put two and two together and blame Lila. Or perhaps herself. It was better for everyone involved if they just began to forget all the drama and let the hurt feelings go.

“What about…the class rep?”

“Well…Alya can take over until we can elect a new one,” Bustier kept her tone light and cheery. She was trying very hard to be positive but it was all she could do not to break down at the look of resigned betrayal on the young designer’s face. Coming with Demeter had been a mistake; she should have let the science teacher deal with the announcement alone.

“I think we’re done here, Caline.” Mendeleiv’s voice was brisk but not unkind. “Class will start soon. I think you should wash your face.” The science teacher didn’t think it would make the girl feel any better to know she’d cried in front of her teachers.

Marinette’s shoulders slumped as she obediently followed Mme. Mendeleiv. Bustier gave her a smile and a wave but the girl didn’t even look back to see her.

The redhead dropped her arm and the smile. She felt a bit uncomfortable about sending her former star pupil into the lion’s den.

*****

“Good morning, class,” Bustier smiled, determined to put on a good face for her remaining pupils. “Let’s go back to Voltaire…”

Adrien raised a hand and asked politely. “Mlle. Bustier?”

Caline tried not to sigh. She knew it was coming but thought Alya would be the one to ask about her “bestie”. “Yes, Adrien?”

“Where’s Marinette?” the model looked around. “Is she running late? Is she sick? It doesn’t seem right to start class without her. But if she’s sick I can have my driver take her work over after school.”

He really was a sweet boy. Marinette could do worse. “Actually, due to overcrowding, Marinette has been moved to Mme.’s Mendeleiv’s class.”

There was complete silence and then students began hurling questions at the teacher.

“You moved Marinette? Did you talk to her parents first?” Alya wanted to know.

“Did something happen?” Mylene asked.

“No! Class won’t be the same without her!” Rose leaned on Juleka’s shoulder, who glared at her teacher. “We didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

“You could have moved me,” Nathaniel told Bustier. “I would have moved if anyone had asked for volunteers. In fact, you could trade Marinette for me and I can sit with Marc.”

“Who’s gonna be class rep now?” Alix complained. “She ran student council meetings like a champ. It’s because of her we got to have a conference call with Macron.”

“Well, for now, Alya, will be the class rep until we can hold an election,” Bustier informed her class. Before the Ladyblogger could claim she didn’t have time the teacher stopped her. “That would probably be later this week. Now really, I understand how you feel. Most of you have been in classes with Marinette since _ecole maternelle_ but really we have to get started.”

The students grumbled but quieted down. The teacher did her best to ignore their sullen or confused expressions and began to teach.

From her seat in the back Lila fumed behind her mask of concern. She had thought her plan to have Marinette moved was brilliant but didn’t expect the class to react so strongly. Or her well-behaved object of affection to lead the charge of the Marinette Protection Squad. Still, once they settled down she would have them under her thumb again. That vacant chair next to Alya looked very inviting but she thought she’d wait a day to claim it. Sitting behind Adrien all day was very appealing.

Adrien’s emotions ran the gamut from confused to heartbroken to angry. He hadn’t agreed to work with LIla to save Marinette just to lose her now! He didn’t regret helping his good friend get reinstated but he wasn’t sure how he could face dealing with people like Lila and Chloe without her warm presence to counteract them.

He risked a glance to the back of the room and caught the Italian girl’s smug face out of the corner of his eye. The model looked away before she could catch him and fumed.

Of course Lila was behind this. She hated being thwarted and had somehow persuaded Bustier and Damocles to take Marinette out of class. That spiteful little brat hated losing. He wouldn’t let her win. He’d figure out a way to fix this.

“Poor Marinette,” Nino whispered while the teacher wrote on the whiteboard. “Imagine being stuck with Mendeleiv.”

Adrien sighed. “Yeah. I hope she’ll be all right. Let’s check in with her after class.”

Marinette was an amazing girl. He was sure she could hold her own against the science teacher for a day or two.

*****

The girl in question felt a bit nervous as she followed the science teacher into her new homeroom. She relaxed a bit as she glanced inside. Aurore and Mireille were already in there. She knew them, they were her friends. Sure, they weren’t as close as Alya or Nino but she could get to know them better now that they were all in the same class. The two weather girls waved as enthusiastically as they could in science class, clearly surprised but pleased to see her. Marinette waved back. She looked forward to the lack of drama her new homeroom might provide.

Perhaps this change wouldn’t be as catastrophic as she’d thought. Sure, she was separated from her best friend and her crush but Chloe and Lila weren’t here either. That was a small gain.

Another girl was sitting by herself across from Mireille and Aurore. Her blue-black hair was worn in a short bob and she wore a red pleated skirt and white blazer. Marinette relaxed and managed a smile.

“Good morning, Kagami!” she greeted the other girl. “I didn’t know you were transferring to Francois Dupont.”

The Japanese girl’s lips curved upwards into a tiny smile, practically a grin by Tsurugi standards. “ _Ohayo_ , Marinette. It was a recent decision.” It probably had to do with Adrien or the business agreement Mme. Tsurugi had with M. Agreste but the designer was very glad to see her new friend. She was pleased and grateful they had decided their mutual affection for Adrien wouldn’t ruin their new relationship. Kagami might have appeared cold and stoic but she was a wonderful person and worth getting to know.

Huh. Perhaps the same could be true of Mme. Mendeleiv.

Marinette approached the seat beside Kagami. “Is this seat taken? It’d be great to have a friendly face in my new class.”

“Not at all.” Kagami was certain Mendeleiv’s class would find her as intimidating as her class from her former private school. “Although opinions might vary on the friendliness of my face,” she deadpanned.

The designer surprised the Japanese girl by laughing and sitting beside her. “I never noticed how funny you are.”

“I was a regular class clown in Nerima,” Kagami lowered her voice and whispered, “Why did you change classes? I thought you were pleased with being in class with Adrien.”

“Not my choice,” Marinette whispered back, “I’m sure Mme. Mendeleiv will explain once everyone’s here.”

More students began to pour into the class; some Marinette knew, some she didn’t. A girl with long blond wavy hair approached her table and smiled, a girl with a short blond bob beside her. The light of recognition hit both girls’ eyes and they grinned at their new classmate.

“Welcome! Marinette, right? I remember you from student council meetings. I’m Vivienne, your new class representative and this is my deputy, Brielle.” The short blond waved. “Let us know if you need anything.”

“Nice to meet you both!” Marinette smiled back. Being class rep had taken a lot of her time and she was glad to have the burden off her shoulders.

“Marc! Look who it is!”

A familiar muscular redhead was trailed by a dark haired boy with bright green eyes. He looked at the designer in surprise. “Marinette? You’re in our class now?”

The swimmer walked to her seat but the writer walked to Marinette’s table. “This is great!” He glanced at Kagami. “Two new students in one day? We’re spoiled.”

It was a feeble joke but Kagami’s eyes warmed. “Well, if you’re friends with Marinette, you’re a person worth knowing. I’m Kagami. _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_.”

“I’m Marc. _Hajimemashite_.” The boy gave the transfer student a smile. “I hope I said that correctly. My uncle’s wife is Japanese.”

“A worthy attempt,” Kagami replied generously and Marc’s smile grew. “I should go sit down. We should eat lunch together!”

As the three dark haired students chatted, five boys loitered in the doorway; a blond, a redhead and three brunettes. They stared at their new classmates and whispered to each other.

“The gods have smiled upon us and sent us two new angels.”

“Who’s the girl in the uniform?”

“Kagami Tsurugi. She’s on the fencing team. She’s fierce and I want her to step on me.”

“Does she have a boyfriend?”

“I hear she has a thing for Agreste.”

One of the boys pushed a little closer. Eyes alighting on the young designer he smiled. “Her, I know. That’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

The blond held a hand over his heart. “In her beauty resides my death and my life.”

“Lovely but my parents want me to think about an arranged marriage.”

“I hear she’s single.”

“Wasn’t she in the Akuma Class?”

“You mean the No Good Class?”

The boys snickered then froze when they heard the strident voice of their teacher. “If you boys have so much energy you should have no trouble with today’s experiment. Take your seats!”

“Mme. Mendeleiev?” Marinette raised her hand and waited to be called.

The teacher raised a brow. “Yes, Marinette?”

She reached into her bag and brought out the box of macarons. She walked towards the front of the class and placed them on the Mendeleiev’s desk. “I brought some macarons to share,” she whispered to the teacher. “ Hope that was all right.”

“Very thoughtful of you but it’ll have to wait until the end of class.” The usually stern teacher did give her new homeroom student a rare smile. “I hope there’s some lemon in here.”

“Yes, madame.”

“Excellent. Return to your seat.”

*****

By lunchtime everyone at Francois Dupont knew about the class change and the whole school was talking about it. No one knew exactly what had happened and speculation ran from the logical to the bizarre.

“Did you hear? Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s been moved from Bustier to Mendeleiev.”

“Poor girl.”

“Lucky girl! Bustier might be nice but she lets Chloe Bourgeois get away with everything because she’s the mayor’s daughter. The woman’s an enabler.”

“Is Marinette the one who pushed that girl last week?”

“Please, the girl helps Mylene Harprele plant trees. She probably tripped and fell on her.”

“Besides, it was Lila Rossi. She told me she went out with JK Rowling’s son. He’s seventeen and lives in England.”

“I can’t believe Mlle. Bustier would just give someone like Marinette away. The girl is awesome!”

“Hasn’t she designed for Jagged Stone? I think he filmed a tv show at her house once.”

“Alix and I are in the Art Club together. She told me Marinette turned down a starring role in a music video so she could dance with her friends.”

“She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, even cheering me up after I got akumatized.”

“I bet she’s glad she got out of The Akuma Class.”

“How come that girl doesn’t have a gang of dudes trying to date her? She’s gorgeous!”

“She won a design contest judged by Gabriel Agreste and it got the seal of approval from the Style Queen herself.”

Lila did her best to maintain a pleasant expression but all she wanted to do was scream. After getting the girl expelled she came back even more popular, even after being moved from class! Mme. Mendeleiev wasn’t the type of person to be swayed by tears, just facts. She couldn’t be manipulated like Damocles or Bustier. Then again she was well liked by the rectorat. She’d probably taught them all and they were still afraid of her.

Her eyes narrowed as she schemed. There had to be a way to tear down Marinette’s new happiness. It would be harder to destroy her now that she was in a different class but…there was no one to stop her from taking all of her rival’s friends.

Or Adrien.


	3. Lunch? More like an obstacle course.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a look into how the rest of the school views "The Akuma Class". Adrien creates a shrine for his "very good friend". Plus, Marinette becomes Dupont's most eligible bachelorette.

**Chap 3: “Lunch? More like an obstacle course.”**

  
  
  
  


Nino Lahiffe entered his classroom, head bopping to the beat. He stopped and stared when he saw his best friend, actually early for once, doing something strange at Marinette’s seat. Well, Marinette’s former seat. He didn’t think he could ever get used to her being gone. He could only imagine how Alya was feeling right now.

He glanced over and saw Kim, looking less than his usual exuberant self. In fact, the class jock looked downright bummed. Kim had known Marinette longer than anyone except Chloe; the three had started  _ école maternelle  _ together. That was a scary thought to start the day…

The DJ gave the athlete a smile and a thumbs-up. Kim didn’t smile but he gave his classmate a thumbs-up to show he appreciated Nino’s support.

“Uh...dude?” Nino approached his best friend who was scribbling furiously on a pink sheet of paper with a red pen. Red of all things! On pink paper! “...what are you doing?”

“Just making something,” was all the model would say. The DJ stood beside him and watched. Besides the paper there were four tealight candles, all in various shades and a clear plastic box with a few macarons in it. All in all it reminds Nino of a shrine. It made him feel a little weird and uneasy to see it; like something out of one of his best bud’s anime; a memorial shrine.

“Uh…”

“Almost done,” Adrien’s face was alight with purpose. He was even smiling, a far cry from the sullen boy he was after Mlle. Bustier horrible announcement yesterday. 

“Aaaaand now!” Adrien leaned back and showed his best friend what he was doing. Nino leaned over to take a closer look.

“Reserved for Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” the DJ read aloud.

“Yep!” Adrien beamed, very pleased with himself, like one of Alya’s dad’s panthers with a full belly. He reached into the messenger bag and pulled out his phone. “I wanted Marinette to know how much we missed her, how much we care. She’s important to us, even if she’s not in the same class anymore.”

He looked so happy and optimistic Nino almost couldn’t crush his naivety. Almost. “Dude…” he began gently, “we don’t know if Mari can come back. Or...if she wants to. I mean...Chloe’s not in her class…”

“...but neither are we,” Adrien finished. He held his phone over the “shrine” and took a picture. “Now to upload it to my Instagram, to make sure she sees it. In case Mlle. Bustier makes me put all this away, which I’m sure she will.”

The class door opened and the Girl Squad came into the room, led by Lila, of course. She strode confidently in the room. Today was the day she claimed her new seat and soon, her proper place at Adrien’s side. Perhaps she could persuade Nino to trade seats with her.

She stopped and glared down at Adrien’s homemade sign. “Adrien, what’s this? I didn’t know you liked arts and crafts.” The Italian kept her down light and sweet and only Adrien seemed to notice how her eyes narrowed at him.

Rose peered around Lila and saw the tribute. “How sweet! And pink! How perfect!” She clasped her hands together and smiled angelically. “I bet Marinette will love it!”

“Pink’s her favorite color,” the model grinned at his classmate. “I thought it was appropriate. I’m not good at creating things but I wanted to make something so she’ll know I care.”

Rose cooed in approval. Alya looked over Rose’s head and smiled at her appreciation. Hmm. Perhaps there was something to this “absence makes the heart grow fonder” thing she’d heard about. She noticed he was careful to say “I” and not “we”. Interesting.

“My girl would totally appreciate knowing how much you miss her, Adrien.”

The blond flushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, she’s one of my best friends after all.”

Alix pushed past the crowd to look at the sign. “Hey! Didn’t know you were artistic, Agreste!”

“You’re an artist, Alix,” Adrien inquired timidly. “Do you think Marinette would like it?”

“Speaking as an artist and as Marinette’s friend, I know she’d love it.”

The pink-haired skater gave a knowing look to all of her friends, a look they returned. Lila couldn’t help but think she was being excluded somehow but wasn’t sure how. It was infuriating and probably involved the baker girl in some way. She hated being out of the loop.

“Oh, boo hoo hoo! Dupain-Cheng isn’t in our class any more! Who cares?!” Chloe sauntered into the room, trailed by her faithful shadow, Sabrina. 

“ _ We _ do!” most of the class answered back.

Chloe sniffed in disdain as she made her way to her seat. Sabrina scurried after her and put the blonde’s bag in its proper place before waiting for her only friend to sit.

“Um...didn’t she throw a party for you?” Juleka half-mumbled.

Chloe blinked in surprise, whether at the reminder of Marinette’s kindness or Juleka actually speaking in public she couldn’t say.

“And she deliberately insulted you in front of your mother, knowing that she would defend you and you and your mom would bond,” Adrien piped up. Looking over his oldest friend he added, “she gave up an amazing opportunity so you could improve your relationship with Mme. Bourgeois. I don’t know of anyone else who’d do anything so selfless.”

The crowd nodded in agreement and Chloe flounced to her seat. “Well. I suppose even Dupain-Cheng isn’t totally useless or without talent. Even Mommy agrees and she’s an authority.” The snooty girl was still allergic to gratitude but that was the nicest thing she’d ever said about the dark haired girl.

“Hey! Let’s take pics of us posing with the sign and post it on Instagram!” Kim stood up and leaped forward, his bad mood replaced by his usual gusto. He put his face near the impromptu shrine and gave his phone to Alix. “Take a picture!”

The skater rolled her eyes but still did as asked. Soon everyone was posing with the sign and continued to do so until Bustier entered the room.

“Good mor-Adrien? Why do you have a sign there? Are those lit candles? Adrien, you know those are a fire hazard!”

“They’re battery-operated LED candles, Mlle. Bustier,” the model picked one up and demonstrated how easily they flicked on and off.

“And the sign is for Marinette,” he walked to the teacher’s desk and showed it to her. “‘Reserved for Marinette Dupain-Cheng’. We want her to know that even though we’re not in the same class with her any more, we still miss and care about her. She’s our friend and we wouldn’t trade her for anyone.”

Bustier felt a twinge of guilt and nostalgia for her former pupil and tried to tell herself it was all for the best. “Well, that’s very sweet, Adrien, but I think you need to put it away-”

“Sorry I’m late!”

Heads whipped around and stared at the half-open door as they heard a familiar voice, nearly out of breath in her attempt to beat the late bell. She passed her old classroom and kept going towards Mendeleiev’s.

“Don’t ring, don't ring, don't ring,” they could hear her mutter under her breath as she darted into her new class fifteen seconds before the bell rang.

A cheer rose up from Bustier’s class as Adrien smiled fondly in the direction of the other class. “That’s our Marinette!” The class laughed and he returned to his seat.

Bustier closed the door and tried to regain the attention of her students. “Put that away for now, Adrien. You can always show her after school. Now, about Voltaire…”

Most of the class dutifully paid attention while Chloe did her nails and Lila seethed, unaware Nathaniel was observing her.It wasn’t even two days since Marinette left and now in addition to mourning her loss Adrien was writing literal love notes for her and saving her seat as a memorial!

There had to be something she could do. Something vile to frame the little do-gooder for. 

She would find it.

*****

Class with Mme. Mendeliev seemed to blend in effortlessly through the morning classes. Marinette already had experience having Mme. Mendeleiev as her teacher, so she was used to the no-nonsense ways that the teacher presented the information. It wasn't boring by any chance, but information seemed to flow easily in a way that Marinette found herself matching up with her notes. There were no yelling, no protuberant questions. Without Kim, Alix, or even Alya there to shout out questions. No one called out challenges during class on who would ace the exam, and the class felt quite streamlined. There was no Lila to interrupt and add to another stupid story of “Well my grandfather was best friends with so-and-so, so if you need any additional information you can ask me”. It was nice. Nicer than nice, what, is she joking, this was great!

There was an obvious respect between Mendeleiev and her students. She would tend to pause after she finished explaining a passage and the students would ask for clarification if they didn't understand anything. It was all done before moving on so no one should get left behind. It was another testament to her fairness and willingness to teach which Marinette liked. She remembered how in Bustier if any students would cause disruptions Mlle Bustier seemed to look at her, the class representative, to give a solution to the problem or handle it. Not once was Viviene or Brielle given such a look instead everyone seemed to be attentive and doing their job: learning. 

Time seemed to fly, why did she think that Mme. Mendeliev's class took forever before? If a week ago someone told her that she would be enjoying the simplicity and quietness of Mlle Mendeliev's class Marinette would have said they were crazy. But now? Now the quietness was a peace, and it was lovely only needing to focus on just learning. 

There were times that Kagami and Marinette would pass on little notes, or look over one another's work to make sure they understood the correct information. Kagami had her notes in a minimalistic form with clean lines of smooth penmanship that seemed to match her personality. Direct with no fuss or unnecessary flair, the only color was a red pen used to underline new sections or underline important things. Marinette's notes were brighter and at first glance seemed chaotic, with a color coded system emphasized by both pens and highlighters. Some doodles or anagrams and tiny reminders scribbled out to help for her future studying. One pen had a stamp and the tiny apple would appear by things that Mendeliev mentioned ‘it would be best that they remembered’ which made the noirette think it would show up in the next test. 

"Ok we will end today's session here." Mme. Mendeliev spoke up noticing it was lunch time. "Miss Kagami, Miss Marinette I have an open door policy during lunch hours here in class. If there is anything you need extra help on please feel free to ask me. I would rather spend extra time teaching you than see your grades suffer because you didn't ask. Understand?"

"Yes Mme Mendeleiev." Marinette responded with a nod, Kagami nodded her acceptance with a softer “Yes, ma'am.” 

"Good. Now, class," Mme. Mendeliev spoke up, gathering everyone's attention. She opened the familiar pastel blue box and grabbed a lemon macaron before looking back at the class. "Marinette was kind enough to provide macarons for the class, please take one on the way out for lunch. Single file. Don't forget to thank the girl. We will meet again after lunch." 

With that parting thought the students all got up and beelined themselves to Marinette to introduce themselves and thank her for being so kind to bring the treat. Everyone was being so nice and thankful that it caught Marinette off guard for a moment. Partially because Mme. Mendeleiev brought up that she was kind enough to bring them and her new classmates into having no issue thanking her for the treat. It's been a while since she had been thanked so profusely that it caught her off guard. It was nice to be thanked and the girl couldn't help the little blush as she smiled with them. She really was touched.

"Ready to go?" Marc asked Marinette and Kagami as the kids seemed to go to the pastry box and get a macaron before going off to lunch. 

"Sure." Marinette replied, grabbing her purse. 

"Yes, thank you for the invitation." Kagami agreed, grabbing her own purse. 

"Ondine wanted to join us but on Mondays she spends lunch with the swim team. Vivienne is off with the rest of the student council; apparently there’s going to be an assembly after lunch about some huge class project. Aurore has to go to the station too, so she is taking Mirielle. So it's just me." Marc added with apology as the four mentioned students waved a 'see you after lunch' before going off.

"I hope you don't mind some more company." A voice popped up catching the trio's attention. 

"Oh hi Brielle." Marc greeted the vice rep who was joined in by two boys. 

"Curtis got a heads up by some of his teammates that everyone's talking about you two. Lunch is probably going to be a disaster if you guys go to the patio or cafeteria." Brielle explained pointing over to the tall redhead boy who waved his hello to the two girls. 

"Lunch? More like an obstacle course. You'll never get a moment's peace. Kagami is a fencer that Mr. D has praised, and everyone heard that Marinette left Bustier, who everyone's curious about." Curtis added with a laugh as he looked at his phone. “We thought you guys didn’t need to get bombarded so early.” 

"We set up a reservation at a little bistro nearby and I can squeeze all of us in." The blond boy added showing the reservation over to Marinette and Kagami. “I’m Bellamy by the way.” 

“Our class’ resident mom.” Curtis joked which had the boy blushing at the word “Mom.”

Marinette laughed and gave the blond boy a warm smile. She was relieved; that seemed to be yet another duty she didn’t want yet had Bustier force it on her. It always seemed she was in charge of her classmates’ emotional well-being when their teacher couldn’t be bothered besides a token meditation class or “greet each other with a compliment” idea.

She offered him her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Bellamy. I hope we’ll be good friends.” She smirked over at Curtis. “Did he ever tell you he was in Mlle. Bustier’s class with me two years ago? He sat in the back with Nathaniel. They called each other ‘The Tomato Twins.’ “

Curtis and Brielle shuddered together. “I still have war flashbacks when I think of what it was like to be stuck with a bully like Chloe and Bustier the Bully Enabler,” Curtis grumbled.

The blonde nodded. “That’s why I was so happy when I found out Mme. Mendeleiev had room in her class.” She glanced at Marinette sadly. “I’m sorry we didn’t think to take you with us.”

“Well, Bustier isn’t-” she stopped herself before she could say “that bad” but her former classmates had a point. Chloe ran rings around everyone else and only had to pull the Daddy Card to get the teacher to back down. She was also quick to blame the victim; like Ivan or herself. Now the same thing was happening with Lila and the young teacher’s attitude hadn’t changed; the victim was always wrong.

Bellamy grasped her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. “But all that’s behind you now! We accept you! We accept you!”

“One of us! One of us!” the rest of the group chanted while Kagami looked on in confusion. Marinette just shrugged at her as they were swept away to the bistro.

Her new class had a strange way of making new students feel welcome but she felt warm and peaceful for the first time since Lila came back.

*****

“Where’s Marinette?” Adrien fretted as he, Nino, Alya and Lila walked into the cafeteria. It was rare that he didn’t go home for lunch and he was hoping he could persuade Marinette to eat with them. He missed her bubbling optimism and stammering charm already.

Green eyes looked frantically around the lunch room but no familiar indigo pigtails could be seen. “I don’t see or hear her anywhere. I can’t sense her.” He frowned.

Nino found himself growing even more concerned about his best friend’s mental state. He was acting like a fretful toddler who couldn’t find his favorite blanket at nap time. Maybe Adrien was more attached to Marinette than he liked to admit.

“You okay, dude?” Nino asked.

“Relax, Adrien,” Lila tried to soothe the model, reaching for his arm. “She probably just off making friends with her new class. You know, getting acquainted, getting settled in, learning a new routine.”

The blond seemed to sense the Italian before she could touch him and moved out of reach. “Marinette already has friends in Mme. Mendeleiev’s class. She’s very likeable. You know, when she’s not nervous.”

Lila snapped a pen in half with one hand but no one seemed to notice. She wasn’t even in class but all anyone could talk about was their resident saint! Perhaps she should have asked Onichan to get rid of Marinette instead of Ladybug. At least she only had to see Ladybug around when there was an akuma.

  
  
  


“Well, maybe she went home for lunch or she’s having a little reunion away from school,” Alya suggested. “There’s always tomorrow. Or, I could text her if you want.”

Adrien opened his mouth to say yes when he was interrupted.

"Oh hey. You guys were in Bustier's class with Marinette, right?"

Alya, Nino, and Adrien all turned towards a boy with curly brown hair walking up between two boys of Mediterranean descent. The boy seemed vaguely familiar and Adrien stopped worrying about Marinette long enough for a memory to click into place.

“I know you. Jean Duparc, right? You’re in the fencing club but we don’t spar too often.”

“Glad I made such a good impression on you.” Jean gave Adrien finger guns. Adrien gave finger guns back. “You and Kagami are pretty out of my league so I tend to stay in my lane. Oh! Sorry, I don’t think you know my classmates. This is Maison,” the boy in the tropical shirt waved and smiled. “And this is Zayan Pasha,” the boy in the green sweater waved and though he didn’t smile his expression seemed friendly.

“But, to answer your question, dude, yeah. We were in class with Marinette,” Nino answered. He was surprised to see the trio give them looks of sympathy.

“She’s also my BFF so I hope you’re making my girl feel welcome,” Alya informed them. She jokingly made a fist and they pretended to be scared.

“No worries there,” Jean said as he held up his hands in surrender. “Marinette is awesome! You guys must miss her so much.”

“We do, but that’s what Facetime and texting are for,” Adrien spoke up before anyone else could. “We’re hoping we can persuade M. Damocles to give her back to us.”

“No!” protested the three boys. “Come on, do you think we’d give a hottie like Marinette Dupain-Cheng back without a fight?” Jean asked.

“She’s sweet and nice and gorgeous,” Maison enthused. “Plus creative and talented but still somehow humble.”

“She never brags about her accomplishments but always has a kind word for others. She puts others before herself. It’s amazing,” Zayan kept his face solemn but his eyes shone with respect for the designer.

“Which brings me to my next question,” Jean spoke up. He looked at Adrien and Nino specifically. “Why is that girl still single? What’s wrong with you guys?! She’s amazing! Any guy with an ounce of brains would be falling all over themselves to date a girl like Marinette!”

Nino and Adrien fumbled for an answer before Maison covered Jean’s mouth with his hand. “Jean isn’t good with things like...tact or manners but he’s essentially correct. We’re very lucky to have Marinette in our class. See you at the assembly.”

They waved at the quartet who waved back. Lila stopped pouting long enough to smile at them. “They seem nice. I’m glad to know Marinette is in such good hands.”

Nino seemed unsure while Adrien frowned but didn’t speak.

“Well, my girl is pretty awesome. It was only a matter of time before someone outside our little circle noticed what they were missing and snapped her up.” Maybe Adrien would finally get hit by the Clue-by-Four and notice the super special awesome girl who used to sit behind him. Well, if he didn’t, guys would be standing in line to ask her out, if the three boys from Mendeleiev’s class were any indication.

Lila decided now was a good time to change the subject to anything that wasn’t Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

“So what do you think this assembly’s about?”

*****

Chez Gigi was a cozy little bistro that just opened up down the street from the school. It was owned by a husband and wife team who named their business after their two-year-old daughter, Genevieve. They were mostly known for their quiches but Marinette was very impressed with their  _ croque madame.  _ They raised their own chickens so their eggs were always incredibly fresh.

“So,” Brielle began as she finished her quiche. “You seem to be the school’s number one topic this week, my girl.” She broke off a piece of a baguette and passed the rest to Bellamy. “I heard M. D’Argencourt got in a fight with the drama teacher because of you.”

“Wait, really?” Marinette’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t heard that?”

“The Art Teacher said it had something to do with you changing class,” Marc offered softly.

“I can’t imagine why they...oh.” Marinette’s bluebell eyes darkened with sadness. “Maybe because...Mlle. Bustier’s class was crowded and they fought because no one else wanted me in their class but Mme. Mendeleiev.”

She was sure all the other teachers had heard about her expulsion and the reason behind it. The designer remembered M. Harprele being extra nice to her for the past two days. No doubt he felt sorry for her. It made her feel bad to think that Mlle. Bustier found her so disposable after four years. She wanted to blame Lila but this was all on her teacher. As much as she loathed to admit it, the young instructor was all about appearances. At least she didn’t have to be the “model student” any more.

“Or,” Brielle spoke up cheerfully, “you’re just so awesome they all wanted you in their class and fought to get you but Mme. Mendeleiev won. She’s pretty tough, I wouldn't fight her.”

“Who could blame them?” Bellamy looked up from his knitting and stared at her dreamily. “You’re as lovely as you are smart.”

They were all trying to make her feel better and included and she appreciated their effort.

"It doesn't matter why they fought, so long as they can set aside their differences and work as respectable colleagues. They work at a school," Bellamy told her as he knitted another row on the scarf he was making.

Marinette was quiet and then said, “I really like the color.”

She was trying to change the subject but Bellamy just smiled. “The yarn store called it ‘Ladybug Red’”.

“So, hey, I got this new scar trying to jump from building to building this weekend,” Curtis announced to break the tension, rolling up his sleeve.

“Curtis!” Bellamy cried, dropping a stitch. “You could die doing stuff like that!”

“You are incredibly foolish to attempt such a thing,” Kagami’s tone was blunt but her eyes were concerned.

The lanky redhead rolled his eyes. “Oh, sure. Chat Noir and Ladybug do it all the time and you guys are all,” his voice became high and whiny. “ ‘Wow, they’re so cool and heroic!’ but when I do it, all I hear is “Oh, no, Curtis! Don’t try it! Stop! You’re going to die!’ But, as you can see, I didn’t,” he finished proudly. His preening reminded the pig tailed girl of Chat Noir and she couldn’t help smiling.

“Well, anyway, we’re glad you escaped Bustier and the bully she enables,” Brielle raised her glass. “To freedom!”

“Freedom!”

The group laughed and even Kagami managed a smile. Marinette felt warm and welcome and for the first time in a long time, peaceful. She had no nemesis to deal with and there wasn’t a mountain of paperwork for her to deal with. She was just herself, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It was comforting to think she was enough. Plus as much as she missed her friends she was reconnecting with old friends like Bri and Curtis. Also she had new friends in Kagami and Bellamy.

Marinette allowed herself to sigh with relief. Finally, things were beginning to go her way.

Kagami was scrolling through her phone when she made a sound that could be a laugh. “Marinette, look at this fool.”

The noirette looked at the phone the Japanese girl was holding out and saw her new friend had been looking at Adrien’s Instagram. He’d posted a picture of a hand drawn pink sign surrounded by four tealight candles. The sign read “Reserved for Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“I think that’s my old seat!” Marinette exclaimed and smiled at the caption.

_ Keeping your seat safe for you, Marinette. Class isn’t the same without you! You’re missed! _

“Mind if I see?” Bellamy asked. Kagami held it out so he could see. He grinned. “That’s incredibly sweet. Good to know someone is making sure you’re not forgotten.” His kind face took on a Mama Bear aura for a moment. “If Bustier and Damocles had their way they’d sweep what happened last week under the rug and you with it.” He saw Marinette gaping at him and shrugged. “I won’t apologize for looking out for my cubs, so don’t ask me.”

“So that’s the famous teen model, Adrien Agreste, is it?” Curtis peered at the model’s profile. “He’s a pretty boy. Too pretty. Pretty doesn’t mean he’s good enough for our Marinette.”

“Curtis…”

“Or our Kagami,” the redhead made an effort to make the fencer feel included.

“Hmph. I shall decide for myself who is worthy of me,” Kagami glared at Curtis before giving him the tiniest of smiles. “But thank you. It never hurts to be discerning.”

“He’s famous but he’s not snobby and mean like Chloe,” Marinette defended her...friend. “He’s very kind and humble. Also he’s on par with Kagami in terms of fencing ability, so I wouldn’t recommend picking a fight with him.”

“He could stand to be more assertive,” Kagami conceded.

“No argument here,” Marinette muttered under her breath.

Her phone chimed a text alert and she fished it out of her bag. She smiled when she saw it was a text from Alya and she was glad her best friend hadn’t forgotten her.

_ Hey, girl! A couple of things. One, I want you to know I’m thinking about you. I miss sitting with you every day and I hope Mme. M is treating you right. And at least not everyone is a stranger! Plus, when you get a chance, check Adrien’s Instagram. That boy did something cute for you. So did most everyone in class. We want you to know we care. It’s pretty funny too! _

Marinette had to stop herself from crying happy tears. Adrien cared about her! As a friend, but it was something. Plus, her former classmates supported her, more than Bustier seemed to. The woman wouldn’t even wave if she saw Marinette walking by. Well, if her new classmates were right, it was her loss. Any other teacher would be happy to have her in their class.

She grinned then frowned when her phone chimed again.

_ So what’s the scoop on this school assembly after lunch? _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. What could possibly go wrong?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out all about the assembly. Shenanigans ensue.

**Chapter 4: What could possibly go wrong?**

The entire school crowded into the auditorium, all neatly separated by grade. There was a low buzzing sound as everyone speculated about the purpose of the assembly. Friends took the time to sit together if their teacher was lenient. Everyone but a group of the student council students wondered, bemoaned, or worried over what the special assembly was going to be about.

“I thought the school usually had these kinds of events first thing in the morning or during our last class,” Adrien murmured to Nino as the two found two of their classmates, thankfully Lila was the farthest away from him and Alya stood next to her. Adrien allowed Nino to stand by his girlfriend and he stood near the corner, happy that things moved into his favor. If Lila started latching on his arm again, he would be tempted to break her claws-hands.

The DJ shrugged. “Beats the heck outta me, dude. To be honest, ever since Mari got expelled, then came back and that fake Ladybug showed up and then disappeared, life’s been kinda crazy, yo.”

The blond nodded and gave his best friend a smile he hoped the other boy couldn’t tell was fake. If he were honest with himself, he still felt guilty for betraying his lady. Bugette…or Sentibug…he couldn’t decide which name was better, represented his fantasy of having everything he wanted. The highest wishes and dreams enveloped into one Ladybug shaped package. Even seeing his real lady, angry, exasperated, even _genuine_ hadn’t destroyed his fantasy at first. He had no one to blame but himself, and Mayura. The Peacock wielder had ruthlessly destroyed her creation when the sentient creature was no longer useful. Watching her die still gave him nightmares. It was as if he went from his greatest dream, the love of his lady, to his worst nightmare with her destruction. Ladybug forgave his treason but he was still kicking himself over it. Guilt had settled in making Adrien feel down. After all, Ladybug was amazing and a much better partner. She had been able to tell the real him from a fake and he’d deliberately blinded himself from the truth. Some partner he was.

“You good, bro?”

Adrien blinked and shook his head before focusing on what his friend was trying to ask him. “Sorry, bro. I was just thinking of all the possible reasons we could be having a surprise assembly. Surprise VIP, maybe?”

“Like a former student hit it big and they want to come back to thank the teachers or rub it in?” Nino suggested.

Adrien snapped his fingers. “Exactly! Jagged Stone is stopping by because we won a free concert!”

“XY is giving free DJ lessons!”

“Clara Nightingale wants to shoot a new music video!”

“ _Project Fashion_ wants Marinette as a contestant!”

Adrien paused and thought about Nino’s last suggestion. “You know, I think that idea is my favorite.”

“Duh. Mari would kill it. Design houses from all over the world would get into a bidding war after she became famous overnight.” Nino was glad to see his favorite guy acting more like his regular self and opened his mouth to tease him when he stopped and thought for a moment. He remembered Adrien had lost his mom over a year ago and, when Gabriel withdrew from his son, his father as well. The guy had major abandonment issues and Marinette was probably the first friend he’d made on his own. Besides him as his best bro, Nino concluded, in their friend hierarchy Nino and Marinette were special and equals in rank. Plus, it was Marinette. The bright, beautiful star to rival the sun that was Adrien. Sweet, generous with both her time and snacks, and Adrien seemed to gravitate towards her, even being comfortable enough for her to kiss him in the class movie.

The overcrowding thing sucked but for someone like Adrien it must have felt ten times worse because he was separated from a source of comfort. Well he might be no Marinette, but Nino promised himself to help out his best bro. He slung an arm over his best friend’s shoulder and cracked a joke to cheer the model up. “We should totally get Marinette’s autograph now so we can say we knew her way back when.”

Adrien grinned at his friend in genuine amusement. “After the assembly.”

*****

There were far too many people in the auditorium for Lila’s liking and aside from a few of her biggest fans, er, closest friends, no one was paying her any mind. All anyone wanted to talk about was the reason behind the assembly or ( _ugh_ ) Marinette’s class change. Even students from other classes who’d never met her had an opinion about the noirette. They ranged from rampant speculation behind it to thinking Dupain-Cheng had somehow had a lucky break. Perhaps Bustier wasn’t the popular teacher her class believed her to be. Then again, she was also the most idealistic and gullible in the school so Lila was better staying put. Besides, if she left now not only would she be leaving Adrien and her lackeys behind but she would have to start all over trying to win over a new class. Who could say if they’d be as easily led as Bustier’s?

“Something bothering you, girl?”

The Italian glanced up and into the face of Alya Cesaire. She was grateful to the aspiring reporter; the ombre haired girl had done a lot to boost Lila’s popularity. That didn’t mean she held Alya in high esteem; Rossi was very lucky Cesaire didn’t know the first thing about fact checking or citing sources. Lucky for Lila. She found the perfect little toy.

But the blogger wasn’t entirely unobservant either. With the hyperfocus Cesaire would use on her ‘scoops’ it seems that with Marinette gone she turned onto Lila. She must have spotted the fox faced girl looking less than happy in public and wondered why. Dammit, she was getting too comfortable with her new school. She was too close to having everything she wanted and it wouldn’t do to get sloppy this close to the finish line.

The auburn haired girl quickly pasted a melancholy smile on her face and met the journalist’s eyes. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about Marinette.” She sighed and looked off into the middle distance wistfully. “I’m sorry we had so many misunderstandings and now she’s gone before we could become friends or make amends.”

Alya’s face fell and Lila knew she had her hooked. Poor sweet, naive Cesaire. She wanted so badly for all her friends to like each other and have girl time. Pathetic. Pathetic and sad. People fell into three categories; enemies, allies, and lackeys. Some were more useful than others. It seems that Cesaire hadn’t realized that yet.

“It’s not too late for that,” Alya reminded her, “she’s next door, not across France. We could always set up a get together over the weekend. I’m sure if you spent some one on one time together and hashed things out between you, you’d get along. You’re both so into helping people, there’s so much good you could do if you teamed up.”

The thought of doing anything with Dupain-Cheng made Lila ill. Add to the fact of it being a one-on-one session? Not on this green earth, but she forced herself to nod. “You’re probably right, but…” she bit her lip and looked down at her feet.

Cesaire took the bait. “But?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

The Italian sighed dramatically. “I just can’t help but wonder. I mean…you’ve only known her a year and according to Max the class wasn’t really close until this year because of Chloe’s bullying but…maybe Marinette is just tired of dealing with us.”

She was very lucky the blogger’s face was so expressive so she could tell when the ombre haired girl’s faith in her best friend cracked slightly. “Tired of us?”

“No no no!” Lila waived her hands in front of her as if to erase her words. “Sorry! Italian and French are both Romance languages but some concepts still don’t carry over. I mean…overwhelmed! Yes, overwhelmed. I mean, Marinette was our class rep and she worked with Kitty Section and had responsibilities at home. So maybe the class change will be good for her! She can relax a little.”

Alya frown and the auburn haired girl knew her words were beginning to have the desired effect. Lila wasn’t blind, she saw all that the noirette scrambled to do. Volunteer work, clubs, helping with Kitty Section, the million and one side projects and favors. Hopefully that pattern sticks in Mendeliev, that way Mari-trash would focus on those new kids leaving Bustier’s sheep and Adrien for herself. Now all it would take is one more little push…

“Tired of us?” echoed a new voice.

Adrien and Nino had pushed through the crowd so they were now standing near the two girls. Lila could tell by the model’s face he’d heard all or at least most of their conversation. His face did not look happy and Lila could tell he suspected her involvement in the class saint’s sudden change of scenery. Lila noted that she might need to be more careful; it wouldn’t do if Adrien became stubborn and refused to listen to her.

The DJ and the Ladyblogger’s eyes went wide as their resident Sunshine Boy gave the transfer student a glare that would make Gabriel Agreste proud. “That’s not how Marinette thinks at all. She might get overwhelmed and stressed but she’d never deliberately abandon her friends,” he stressed the last word and then scowled at Lila before looking away as if she disgusted him.

Nino and Alya found themselves at a loss for words. “Um…late night photoshoot, my dude?” Nino asked his best friend tentatively. “You’re kind of not yourself, bud.”

“I don’t like anyone talking bad about my friends when they’re not around to defend themselves,” Adrien growled.

Lila’s face crumpled. He was taking Marinette’s departure harder than she thought and clearly blamed her. He wasn’t as spineless or stupid as she’d taken him for. That made her job of winning him over a little harder than anticipated. It didn’t matter. Marinette wasn’t around to protect him any more. And he couldn’t shield his little angel from Lila.

It was on the tip of Lila’s tongue to tearfully ask Adrien how he could be so mean when all she wanted to do was cheer Alya up when that sweet, hated voice could be heard over the crowd.

“Alya! Nino! Adrien!”

The girl of the hour, surrounded by a knot of her new classmates waved enthusiastically at her friends. She was practically wiggling with glee. Lila wanted to punch her for being so effortlessly… _cute_.

Marinette was proud of herself for being able to say Adrien’s name without stammering. She missed sitting behind him but now that she wasn’t constantly bombarded with his hotness it was easier to see him as a person and not just her crush. He was still sweet, smart and gorgeous, but then so were many of her new male classmates.

“Hug!” Alya cried out and rushed to her best friend, arms wide.

“Hug!” Marinette returned joyfully and excused herself politely from her classmates long enough to give her BFF a warm hug.

“Nino, Adrien, Lila, what are you doing just standing there? It’s group hug time!” Alya called over her shoulder.

The two boys eagerly raced over, Lila trailing reluctantly behind. She didn’t want to hug the girl she thought she’d eliminated and didn’t want anything more to do with her rival than was strictly necessary. She pretended to hug with the group but mostly kept to the outside. That meant she couldn’t touch Marinette or Adrien at all and most ended up hugging Nino and Alya. It sucked she couldn’t touch Adrien but it was a sacrifice she would take.

Adrien for his part was having the time of his life. He closed his eyes and laid his head on his former classmate’s shoulder. He put his arms around her shoulders and felt hers close around his back; reluctantly at first and then held him tighter when he tightened his hold. He breathed in her scent; her fragrance was cardamom and vanilla with a hint of fresh strawberries and the unmistakable warmth of fresh bread from living in a bakery. For a minute he wondered what it would be like to sink into her, fuse with her soul until they were one so he’d never be lonely again. It must be so wonderful to be a Dupain-Cheng. He’d seen Marinette’s dad and it also looked like he would give awesome bone crushing hugs, and affectionate hugs and pats from Mme Cheng. It would be a dream. He wished time would stop; now was perfect and he tried to commit every detail to memory, like her warm skin, beating heart, and comforting arms.

“C’mon, Mari! I found Ondine! She’s saving some seats for us.”

Marc interrupted Adrien’s happy, golden moment and it was all he could do not hiss or yowl at the other boy. Marc’s gentle ocean green eyes held no malice and he didn’t seem to detect the blond’s hostility. He gave everyone a shy, gentle smile. If it faltered when he looked at Lila, no one commented.

The model glared at the intruder. He had interrupted a _Marinette_ hug. They were having a beautiful friend hugging moment and _Marc_ had cut it short. Logically he knew the writer meant no harm and would be stricken to think he’d hurt anyone’s feelings but Adrien was having a bad week and was irrationally angry at the dark haired boy; and it was only Wednesday.

Nino was the only person who noticed his best friend’s ire and hastily changed the subject before any feelings could be hurt. “Hey, what’s good, Marc? How’s the comic going?”

The DJ might spend a lot of time lost in his music but he still knew people. As predicted, Marc’s eyes gleamed with joy at the mention of his favorite subject. Well, besides Nathaniel of course. The duo’s professional relationship was as well-balanced and harmonious as their romantic relationship. Everyone called them “The New Julerose.”

“Fantastic! Our latest issue sold out in two days!” Alya was surprised. This was the most she’d ever heard Marc speak without Nathaniel around. Must be the Marinette Effect. Everyone really did love her.

Marc was on a roll as he warmed up to his subject. “Nathaniel and I are talking about writing a miniseries about Chat Noir crossing dimensions during an akuma battle and meeting alternate versions of himself. Maybe his female alternate, a cyborg, or even his older self from the future!”

“I’d read it,” Adrien offered. He was still annoyed, but the concept sounded very imaginative. “Maybe a cynical detective type or an alien?”

“And then they all come back to original Chat Noir’s dimension to kick Hawk Moth’s butt!” Marinette exclaimed then covered her mouth. “Was that too weird?”

“Not for a comic book,” Marc reassured her. “They’re all great ideas and I’ll suggest them to Nathaniel.” He smiled at Marinette then at Adrien. “I like the alien Chat and group fight ideas the best.” He gently led the designer away. “We can talk after school if you want! See ya!”

The four from Bustier’s class waved and Alya spoke up. “We should catch up with our class too. Make sure we get good seats.” She got out her phone and prepared to record. “Hey, for all we know, it could be something fun.”

“Alya, you’re always so positive!” Lila enthused. “You’re right, it’s probably something fun and exciting.”

It was not going to be fun and exciting, Lila surmised taking back her words a few minutes later. She was stuck in the center of the auditorium listening to everyone talk and chatter having it get louder and more annoying. She heard her lackeys still gushing over Dupain-Cheng and lament that Marinette was sitting on the opposite side with her new class. To make matters worse Adrien was sitting on the corner talking animated with Nino; and she was stuck between Rose and Alya. Today had not gone her way.

*****

The students continued to murmur even after Principal Damocles made his way to the podium. He held his hands in front of him, palms up, and glared like an irritated bird of prey until people gradually settled down.

“Some of you may have heard rumors about what today’s unexpected assembly was about.” He began. “I’m here to clear up any rumors or misinformation.” He cleared his throat and began to explain.

“The Ministry of Education has reinstated the Integrated Learning Project or ILP for students in college or higher. For two months all of your regular coursework will be suspended while you work on it.” A cheer rose up and he glared until it stopped. “Not so fast! This project is twenty percent of your total grade for the semester so take it seriously. Each class will be given a project idea from another class. Let me repeat; you will not be able to pick your own project idea, it will be chosen for you by a randomly selected class. You will use everything you’ve learned so far this year to complete it and all students must be able to prove via individual essays, what you learned, what subjects were most helpful during the project and how the skills you’ve honed over the school year helped you complete it.”

There were groans while Damocles continued. “Don’t worry, if you forget something I’ve said today, you’ll all receive handouts and emails about everything I’ve discussed today. Now, to make this more interesting there is a hidden prize for the most original concept turned project which another school outside of Paris will be awarding to avoid claims of bias.” Chloe huffed, clearly miffed the Daddy Card wouldn’t work this time.

“Now, to further reduce the danger of bias, the name of each teacher has been written on slips of paper by someone else in this school. Then it was placed into a lockbox so no one could interfere. I will now draw two names and those classes will be paired. Remember to be kind and take what you know, if anything, about the class you’re paired with and tailor your project idea to their strengths. Hopefully,” he glared at the student body as a whole, “No one will purposefully make life harder on anyone else or I shall be forced to interfere. Now, onto the reading of the names.”

Marinette fretted to herself. She only knew one class fairly well, was getting to know her new class, and knew a few kids on the student council. She hoped her class would receive an easy project or they wouldn’t have a prayer. Not with an albatross like her on board.

“Now, teachers, when you hear your name called, please make your way to the stage. You and your class will have only two days to decide what each other’s project will be so choose carefully. Now…M. Harprele and Mme. Bienvenue!”

The two teachers made their way to the stage and genially shook hands to the applause of their students. Alya thought Mylene’s dad looked a little relieved to be paired with Mme. Bienvenue and not…well, she couldn’t be sure.

She’d noticed there was a little bit of tension in school lately. Not so much among the students (except a few from Mendeleiev’s class who looked a little smug as they walked by) but the teachers themselves. She remembered a few like M. D'Argencourt avoiding Mlle. Bustier’s gaze and would even go in a different direction if they saw her in the hall. The budding reporter even witnessed the Art teacher glaring at M. Damocles and the principal looked ashamed and even slightly guilty when Mme. Mendeleiev wished him a good morning. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. There was a story here somewhere.

*****

“M. D’angecourt and M. Fabron.” M Damocles spoke out and it caused some students to snicker as M D’Angecourt and the drama teacher Jacques-Louis Fabron were pitted against each other. Both men sized each other up as they walked over to the podium. Students began to whisper amongst the applause as the rivals sized each other up.

“Look Marinette, the Capulets and the Montagues.” Kagami whispered to Marinette which had the girl descend into giggles. Those two teachers always seemed to be itching for a fight to the point it seemed to be a Shakespearean play when they went at it.

“I’m so sorry for their classes.” Bellamy shook his head with pity.

“Are you kidding? This will be the best part of the entire thing. Forget our projects, those two are going to make this hilarious.” Curtis spoke up from the row behind Marinette.

“Should we have a bet?” Ondine asked. “I’m betting on M. D’Argencourt to snap first.”

“When you say snap, what do you mean?” Aurore jumped in excited.

“Tears, frustrated tears.” Ondine supplied.

“I’ll bet on M Fabron, he’s an actor who can cry on command.” Marc spoke up shaking his head.

“I’m with Marc, M Fabron is super dramatic he’ll crack and cry.” Curtis agreed, having Jean and Zayan nod the three with Marc all high fived.

“Nah, I’m joining Ondine.” Aurore waved.

“Me too.” Bri agreed.

“I think I’ll take Marc’s side.” Mirielle hummed.

“Then expect to pay up when you guys lose.” Ondine joked.

“Who’s going to keep the record?” Kagami asked, curious and ready to join the bet. “I’ll join M D'Argencourt. I know him better.”

“Bellamy?” Marc asked the blond who sighed.

“Ok I’ll keep a record.” Bellamy agreed. “But Maison should keep the money, he’s our treasurer, he’s the best with that.”

“Do you mind, Maison?” Bri asked, taking out her wallet.

“Not at all.” Maison smiled. “We’re putting the usual limit, five euros per person to the betting pool. If they hold up to the end of the two months we’ll redistribute it back to everyone.”

“Deal.” The classmates agreed as money began to be handed over to the boy in the flowered shirt. Bellamy made sure to notate who put down money for what teacher. It was strange for Marinette, this teasing and simple bet between the group. It still seemed like a lot of fun and she decided to join in on the fun placing her five dollars towards M Fabron.

“Let’s see if your winning streak will continue here Kagami.” Marinette teased bumping shoulders with the girl who gave a sly smile.

“I’ll win, even if I have to bring M D’argencourt to tears myself.” Kagami rose up to the challenge which had the group giggling and noticed that the two teachers finally left the podium after their ‘Mexican Standoff’.

*****

Alya could feel the anticipation rise around her as teachers and applause came and went. The pool of names was dwindling and she knew what was about to happen. Nino always teased her about “following her gut instinct” but she was pretty good at pattern recognition. She knew exactly whose class was going to be paired with hers. If this were a drama, this would be the end of the second act.

Up on stage M. Damocles reached inside the lockbox and pulled out the last two slips of paper. He glanced at them briefly and the blogger had a feeling her principal wanted to say something…not safe for work or around minors.

“And of course, the remaining classes, Mlle. Bustier and Mme. Mendeleiev’s, will be paired together.” The two teachers went onstage and dutifully took their slips but Alya could tell the two women looked less than cordial. Mendeleiev was her usually ice self but she could swear her homeroom teacher looked nervous and remorseful. Not like the twins after being caught in the cookie jar but more like she’d hurt someone and was being publicly flogged for it.

Something about it just rubbed the girl the wrong way and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Principal Damocles looked up and around the auditorium. “That is all I have for today. Please line up behind your teacher and walk quietly back to your homerooms to discuss your project ideas. You are dismissed.”

As stoic as the science teacher was, her class was overjoyed.

“Whoo! No math for two months!” Jean cheered.

Bellamy glanced from Aurore, Brielle and Curtis to Marinette and nodded. This would be a great time to show Bustier’s class the treasure they’d given up. No matter what the rival class threw at them they could handle it. No one could organize tasks like Vivienne and Jean was a born showman. He was probably already thinking of ways to dazzle the student body, and if he grabbed Curtis and the other boys they were always ready to follow any hairbrained schemes if it was fun. Brielle, Marc, and Aurore were the golden trio in keeping everyone on track. Bellamy thought that he would need to stock up on his first aid kit just to be safe. Then there was Marinette, the class’s new trump card. The girl was smart, multitalented and had the leadership and personality to get things done. Add Kagami the hidden Ace since Bellamy could tell the girl was going to be a powerhouse and really get things going.

What could possibly go wrong?

*****

Her class was already thinking of projects for the other class while speculating on what Mendeleiv’s students would come up with for them. Lila on the other hand was thinking up ways to sabotage the rival class, especially if she could cause problems for Marinette. She smirked as she thought about how she could make the little pest lose all her new friends too.

No one had ever put up a fight like Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Usually when she put her opposition they stayed there or left, one way or another. That aggravating nuisance just made new friends, forged her own path, mocked Lila for failing to bring her down or get her akumatized.

Why couldn’t she and Ladybug just _die_?

Sadly, not all her problems could be solved with homicide. She would just have to influence what kind of project her class picked and hoped the one they received wasn’t too strenuous.

She refused to worry about it. That’s what minions were for.

*****

The science classroom was controlled chaos while various students shouted out ideas for a group project to give to Bustier’s class. Mme. Mendeleiev sat back and let her pupils decide for themselves, only intervening if they got too loud or a bit personal with their insults.

Marinette noticed her new homeroom teacher didn’t appreciate her class insulting her colleague but neither did she try to defend her either. It was as if the older teacher was nursing a grudge. Maybe she didn’t like the way Bustier and Damocles handled her expulsion and subsequent class change. Maybe Mendeleiev was on her side! Or maybe she just hated inefficiency and unfair bias. The woman was a scientist after all.

The bluenette sighed to herself and tried to pay attention to the suggestions her classmates were throwing out.

“They could do a music video!” Bellamy threw out.

“Can any of them sing?” Mireille wanted to know.

“Just Kim and only in Vietnamese,” Curtis informed her. “No one would get what he’s singing about but he’s pretty good.”

“It’s…multicultural…” Brielle offered charitably.

“Isn’t the little one Rose in a band?” Maison asked.

“Yeah but their lead guitarist is in another school, so that won’t work.” Aurore shook her head. “Besides we don’t know if they can write a bunch of songs to perform, then what would the others do? Backup dancers?”

“Chloe took dance lessons, or so I’ve heard,” Marc told them. He’d heard Nathaniel mention it when the artist tried to think of positive things he could say about the spoiled blonde. It was a very short list.

“So she could be a choreographer, and order the class around. She’d love that,” Aurore’s tone was bitter.

“No one else would,” Maison grumbled. He didn’t like Bustier’s class but if only half of what he’d heard about the Mayor’s daughter were true, that was a little too cruel, even for his newest friend’s old class.

“Hmm. Pass,” Vivienne shared Maison’s sentiment but was thinking of the Italian girl who seemed to be the center of attention in the other class. She bragged about knowing all these celebrities but a simple Google search disproved that. Plus, she had Mireille and Aurore in her class; two actual local celebrities who knew people like Mme. Chamack and therefore had the chance to meet people like Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, or, if they weren’t available, XY. That wasn’t even counting someone like Marinette, who knew famous people and did amazing things but never talked about it. Viv could appreciate the other girl’s humility but wondered why she didn’t use her connections to prove the troublemaker was lying.

She pulled herself out of her own head just in time to see Zayan, Ondine and Kagami debating the merits of a food festival when Marienette piped up, “I have it!” and all but jumped out of her seat.

The class stared at her and she nearly slunk back into her seat when Kagami asked gently. “An idea for the group project? I for one would like to hear it.”

“Me too!” chorused Bellamy, Curtis and Jean.

The designer’s enthusiasm won out over her caution and she continued. “Remember what M. Damocles said? About using our skills and working as a group? Well…” she stumbled over naming her former teacher, “they could do a play! An original play, written by the class!” Her eyes brightened as she warmed to her subject. “Rose could write it, Alix and Nathaniel could do scenery and backdrops. Kitty Section could provide music and Nino could direct!” She did an adorable little wiggle as she continued. “Mylene would be a great lead actress and Juleka could do makeup while Kim and Ivan built sets. Alya and Sabrina could be stagehands or fill in minor roles. Max and Markov would be great at keeping everything and everyone organized, coordinating rehearsal schedules and making sure everyone knew their lines. Adrien and Lila could,” her heart contracted as she thought of the last two of her classmates but for different reasons, “they could act too, I guess,” she finished lamely.

It was the best idea she could come up with, showcasing all of her friends’ talents in a way that would give everyone a place of importance in the production.

“You forgot Chloe,” Ondine reminded her.

Whoops. Marinette was very glad the girl couldn’t hear her. “Um…she could be the producer, I suppose?” All she would have to do is sit back and boss people around. Chloe would love it.

Maison turned to Marinette. “You know, I kind of like the play idea.” It bothered him to say anything positive about a class that had the stupidity to reject Marinette (that overcrowding excuse was garbage) but the pig tailed girl’s enthusiasm was infectious.

“A comedy, I think,” Mme. Mendeleiv smirked as she noticed the surprise on everyone’s face, especially her newest pupil who’d only seen her serious side. “If we give them drama or tragedy or even romance who knows what’ll happen. It might even trigger an akuma.” Plus a romantic play would involve at least one kiss and that could cause a lot of negative emotions if everyone wanted to be cast so they could kiss the same person, probably that Agreste boy.

Kagami blinked, impressed with her new teacher’s foresight. “That is a very sensible precaution.”

“I know,” Mendeleiev looked over her students. “Now, unless anyone has a better idea, I would recommend you go with Marientte’s suggestion.”

The students collectively shook their heads. As much as they would dearly love to sabotage the other class it was the fairest solution that anyone could come up with. Plus, if Bustier’s kids decided to be vindictive they would look even worse compared to their partner class’ generosity and sense of fair play. Perhaps that would grant Mendeleiev’s class some leniency with Damocles.

Vivienne looked up from taking notes. “I’m going to type up all of your ideas and present them to Bustier’s class,” she told Marinette. The group project idea would probably gain acceptance quicker if it came from the class representative instead of the designer personally. And no one could say the idea was unfair or too difficult when it had a role (ha ha!) for everyone in class.

“I bet Kim would make a fantastic leading man,” Ondine said dreamily.

“Only if he were acting opposite you,” Aurore grinned.

The swimmer fluffed her short hair. “Well, I have a certain presence about me,” she replied and the two friends giggled.

“Great!” Marinette beamed at her new classmates, proud that they liked her idea so much. She was sure her friends would feel the same.

*****  
Meanwhile in Bustier’s class, to no one’s surprise, all hell had broken loose.

She was having more difficulty than usual containing her more exuberant students. Usually Marinette could settle them down with a smile and a gentle word but now that the girl was no longer the class rep the red haired teacher was spending a lot more time struggling to stay in control.

This was all a mistake. She never should have traded her star pupil, even if it was to give Lila peace of mind. She should have transferred Lila instead. The Italian girl might have connections but she wasn’t the class rep Marinette had been, even with a deputy like Alya to share her duties. Maybe she should ask Demeter if they could trade.

Perhaps she should beg Demeter to trade Lila for Marinette. She doubted the science teacher would agree. She was stubborn and was more likely to smirk in her colleague’s face.

Then again, would Marinette want to come back? She seemed content with her new teacher and class, she was even starting to make friends. It wouldn’t be fair to yank the child back for Bustier’s own personal convenience, even if Damocles would let her.

“Hey, why not a music video?” suggested Kim after Alix had shouted down his Field Day meets art exhibition idea. “I know Marinette can sing.”

Alya and Adrien stared at him, blatantly agog. “Mari sings?” How could Alya not know that? They were supposed to be BFFs! That was a big secret to keep.

“You’ve never heard your best friend sing,” Kim shook his head, pitying their ignorance. “Her voice is amazing. She can go from a gentle angel,” Kim flapped his hands as if they were wings. “Or a sultry _chartreuse_ ,” he tried to give Adrien bedroom eyes but the blond just laughed. “I think you mean _chantreuse_ ,” the model corrected gently.

The athlete just shrugged. “Whatever. Her singing is awesome.”

“It’s not…completely awful,” Chloe said as she glanced down at her manicure. Really, the Ladybug manicure was superior to the Chat Noir one. What had she been thinking?

“Dudes…mark this day in your calendars,” Nino laughed. “Chloe said something nice about Marinette.”

“Whatever,” Chloe looked at her nails and hid a smile. Dupain-Cheng’s voice was almost pleasant when she sang. Almost.

“Or they could do a festival of some kind,”Rose suggested.. No one interrupted her and she continued. “A few food booths and games. Everyone could run their own booth!”

“I like it,” Juleka gave her partner a rare public smile. Rose smiled and blushed.

“Why not a live enactment of a video game? Max suggested as Markov hovered at his side. “They could dress up as video game characters and pretend to be opponents from Super Smash Brothers?”

“There are some real jocks in that class,” Alix noted. “I’d love to see a brawl between Curtis and OndIne. Maybe Vivienne versus Aurore.”

Lila felt almost invisible. She was sure everyone would request her input, even if it was only a simple “What do you think, Lila?” But no, they were too busy talking about Marinette singing ability or a festival where they would be forced to serve food like commoners. They’d probably all get food poisoning. No, thanks.

“I do like the festival idea, Rose, but we should think of something that doesn’t require permits to serve food,” Bustier told her and Rose shrank. “What about other ideas?” No one seemed eager to suggest one. “Come on, don’t be shy.”

Lila was tired of hearing how wonderful Marinette was. And she sang like an angel because _of course she would_. The fox-faced girl was tired of hearing out how extraordinary her nemesis was.

There had to be a suggestion that would make Miss Perfect’s life hell. Some impossible task she would have to complete on her own without her fawning new entourage. She grinned as a new thought occurred to her. Yes. On the surface it would look like she was being supportive but in reality she was setting up the raven haired girl up for failure.

Lila raised her hand and her teacher innocently called on her. “What do you have to suggest, Lila?”

The Italian girl’s smile was only halfway faked. “What about a fashion show?”


	5. Bring It On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two classes meet to discuss the projects chosen for the other. Bustier's class loves the play idea and appreciate's their former classmate's thoughtfulness. Marinette gets overwhelmed with a disorganized dream project but her new class is her to support her.

**Chapter 5: “Bring it on”**

No one in Bustier’s class said a word for nearly a minute. Lila’s idea was...honestly brilliant. It was unusual, inspired, and no one in school would think of copying it. It would definitely integrate different skills and the faculty and whoever they found to judge the school would enjoy it.

In a word, it was the most _perfect_ project for Marinette Dupain-Cheng anyone could think of. That alone made Adrien very suspicious.

It was _too_ perfect, the kind of thing he, Nino, or Alya would think up because not only did they know the extension of Marinette’s passion for design but they loved her and wanted her to be happy. She was an amazing friend.

It wasn’t the sort of idea someone like Lila, who clearly wanted to ruin Marinette’s life would suggest unless she wanted to set the noirette up for stress and failure.

The fashion world wasn’t the life the model wanted for himself but he knew how it worked. It took his father around four months to plan and coordinate a fashion show and that didn’t even count the time it took him to design his creations and have them made. All that took years of experience and a trained staff. What did Marinette have? Amazing talent and her classmates. If she had the time she could come up with something, even with her limited resources but in two months?

She’d have to be Ladybug herself.

Everyone looked at Lila with wide eyes and then Rose burst out. “What an amazing idea! Marinette will love it!”

“Not only that,” Alya added, “but think of all the exposure she could get if she won that special prize the principal was talking about. People would be lining up for her designs, not to mention offers to hire her from fashion houses all over Europe!” Alya was excited for her best friend’s future success.

“Europe?” Nino asked. “Try all over the world, babe.” His face fell a little. “Man, I would love to DJ that show for her. Too bad we’re not in the same class any more.”

He sighed and Adrien noticed he gave their teacher a little bit of side-eye.

“I could live stream the event for the Ladyblog and that would get my girl noticed!” The reporter enthused. Most of the class nodded at her. She stopped and gave Mlle. Bustier an apologetic look. “That is, if the school would allow us.”

The red haired teacher thought about it. “If it were successful, an event like a student run fashion show _would_ portray the school in a positive light. I’ll run the idea by M. Damocles.” She smiled as most of the class applauded her.

Live stream? Damn, Lila hadn’t thought of that and almost wished she’d kept her mouth shut. If Marinette and Mendeleiev’s class did well the little designer would only be that much more popular. But, and in the Italian’s mind this was far more likely, if everything went wrong and the event blew up in her nemesis’ face, Lila would only look even better by comparison.

Only one person seemed less than enthusiastic. Adrien raised his hand and asked politely, “Mlle. Bustier?”

The homeroom teacher looked him over expectantly. “Yes, Adrien?”

The blond felt every eye turn to him. Even Chloe, who was scrolling through her phone. He felt a bit nervous but proceeded. “Don’t you think this might be a little overwhelming for Marinette?” His classmates continued to stare at him but he went on, “I work in the fashion industry and I’ve done lots of fashion shows. They take months of preparation and that’s not counting the time and effort it takes to design and sew the clothes.”

Nino and Alya lost their enthusiasm for Lila’s idea and the rest of the class murmured nervously among themselves.

Well, crap. The fox faced girl was rapidly losing control of her followers. Why couldn’t Adrien have stayed the spineless little pretty boy she first met? She was beginning to think he wouldn’t be good trophy boyfriend material after all. Perhaps the techniques she’d used on Marinette would work on the model as well.

“Adrien,” she began with her best pleading face, “don’t you have faith in Marinette? I thought she was your Everyday Ladybug.”

People began to look from Lila to Adrien and the boy’s self-righteousness weakened. “Of course I have faith in Marinette. She’s amazing. I just think an entire fashion show might be a bit hard for her to pull off by herself.”

“Well, she won’t be alone,” the Italian’s smile was a mask of false cheer. “After all, she’ll have her new class to help her. Surely someone can help her organize, be the host if she’s not comfortable with the spotlight. I don’t expect her to be able to pull off a Dior or Gabriel show but I’m sure she’s capable of a few simple outfits.”

Lila’s face was sugary sweet but her tone was condescending and spiteful but no one but Adrien seemed to pick up on it. He glowered at her but she kept projecting her aura of innocence. 

If he thought his best friend would notice Lila opening sabotaging a friend he was quickly disillusioned. “Dude, give Mari a little more credit,” Nino gave him a gentle punch in the shoulder. “She’s gonna crush it!”

“Clearly, it’s a project tailor made for her,” Alya agreed and gave the auburn haired girl a smile and a thumbs up. “Ha! Designer pun! See what I did there, Babe?” Nino just rolled his eyes and despite his ire Adrien’s inner Chat Noir could appreciate it.

“I can’t wait to see what Marinette designs!” Rose cooed, “It’ll be beautiful. Won’t it, Juleka?”

“I’m kinda jealous I won’t get to model,” Juleka mumbled. Akumatization aside, posing for Marinette’s website was a blast and the designer let her keep the clothes.

“Aurore and Mireille are in that class! So is Ondine!” Kim enthused. “My girlfriend is as pretty as she is athletic and they’re local weather girls. Having them model for Marinette is practically a celebrity endorsement.”

Lila’s idea caught on and no one wanted to listen to Adrien’s voice of reason because they were too caught up in the possibilities and excitement of seeing their friends' designs on stage. The fact that Lila was trying to doom the project didn’t even enter into their minds and if he’d brought it up they would accuse him of being unsupportive.

Was this how Marinette felt all the time since Lila came back? He never should have asked Marinette to stay quiet and take the high road. The lack of resistance clearly made the professional liar worse.

Mylene raised her hand and called out “I vote for the fashion show!” Ivan also raised his hand in a show of support and received a kiss as thanks.

Sabrina raised her hand. “Marinette’s designs are pretty good. I also vote for the fashion show.” Chloe just shrugged.

The rest of the class echoed their support. Adrien just sighed and Nathaniel continued to draw in his sketchbook.

“Well, then. It’s practically unanimous!” Mlle. Bustier announced. “Mme. Mendeleiev’s class’ group project will be a fashion show!”

Lila raised her hand again. “As the new class rep, I think it’s only fair Alya get to tell Mar-um Mme. Mendeleiev’s class the good news.” The little do-gooder would be more amenable to an idea presented by her so-called BFF than the girl she couldn’t stand. Plus, when everything went horribly wrong the first person Dupain-Cheng would blame would be Cesaire.

It took all of Adrien’s self-control not to bash his head against his desk and knock himself unconscious. He didn’t want to believe his classmates were this gullible but they had believed Marinette had stolen Lila’s knockoff Miraculous. And they were used to piling work on Marinette. He was sure the little troublemaker had noticed that.

_Clever girl._

*****

Bustier and Mendeleiev’s classes met first thing Thursday morning to share what projects each class had picked for the other. Nino couldn’t help but notice the way the two women sized each other up after a quick hello. Mlle. Bustier’s ever present smile was strained and, well, Mme. Mendeleiev always looked like she wanted to yell at someone but he’d noticed the purple haired teacher glaring at Lila when she thought no one was looking. Huh. That was weird. What had Marinette told her new class about Lila?

He told himself not to think about it any more. Marinette wasn’t perfect, especially when Adrien was involved, but she wasn’t the type of person to spread rumors. She hated liars, always had. She might be jealous of Lila but she was still a good person. The noirette had every reason to be jealous of Kagami but she’d still helped Adrien on a date with the other fencer. His best bro said they’d had a good time until Marinette hurt herself.

Alya was excited and proud to be the person to present the group project idea to the other class. It was her first time doing anything important as class rep and she hoped she could be cool and professional, especially with her BFF watching. Marinette always made the student council stuff look easy. Well, aside from being able to tell Adrien how she felt, the pig tailed girl made everything look easy, as long as she didn’t take on too much. The journalist felt a twinge of shame. She could have been more helpful and less pushy with Marinette. As much as it hurt her personally, maybe changing classes was the best thing for her best friend.

Adrien was still worried about his good friend being overloaded like the time Max had been re-akumatized. Not even a solo patrol had burned off all his nervous energy and he had to stop himself from biting his fingernails. Models didn’t do that, Father would say. He had almost dropped in on his princess and warned her about Lila’s group project idea but stopped himself just in time. She would have wanted to know how he knew and he couldn’t think of a way to tell her without blowing his cover. If he’d told her Adrien told _him_ then she’d wonder how he knew Adrien Agreste well enough to be a confidant. She’d also be angry with Adrien for going behind the class’ back and giving her an unfair advantage.

He couldn’t bear to think of Marinette being angry at him. They were already separated by class and he didn’t want to drive her further away from him. A flash of his mother’s face flitted through his mind and he pushed his abandonment issues back down into his subconscious where they belonged. _Begone, thought!_

Well, he would just focus on something positive instead. Marinette and Kagami had come into the room together, laughing at something one of them said. He was so happy they were becoming friends and getting along! One of the few good things about this change. They waved when they saw him and he smiled and waved back. Maybe he can have lunch with them sometime this week, it would be great to spend time with his friends.

Lila was feeling comfortably smug as she was (finally!) sitting in Marinette’s old seat. No one protested but Adrien and now he was ignoring her unless it was absolutely unavoidable. Even during their photo shoots he was only warm and friendly when cameras were rolling and went back to treating her as if she didn’t exist as soon as Vincent was done. Her feelings weren’t exactly _hurt_ because she kept her true emotions tucked deep inside where they belonged but she was insulted when he treated the lowest intern better than her.

Well, all that would change after Marinette’s group project failed horribly and she brought all her new little friends down with her. The girl would be a social outcast and Lila barely had to lift a finger this time. Work smarter, not harder, that should be her new motto.

Let the science teacher’s class do their worst. She’d just foist all her work off on someone else any way.

Everyone else in Bustier’s class ranged from nervous to excited. Nervous at how difficult their assignment would be versus Marinette’s easy assignment. Excited to see their friend light up when she realizes her friends are handing her a dream job on a platter. Mixed in was a bit of melancholy and nostalgia; they missed having the sincere, smart, and clumsy girl in their class. Remembering all the wonderful things she’d done for them over the last year. Still, at least she was only next door.

Marinette smiled as she looked at her former classmates. Her friends, barring a few exceptions. They looked happy to see her, even missed her. Alya and Adrien especially looked like they’d dearly like to speak to her but didn’t want to be the first to do so in case they said something wrong. Although they couldn’t really get near her if they wanted to. Her new classmates formed a ring around her like a pride of lions. Lila didn’t even _try_ to charm them. The designer couldn’t help but feel warmed by their protectiveness; it felt good to be given the benefit of the doubt for once.

  
  


The two classes crowded around their teachers in anticipation. They were meeting in an unused classroom because it was neutral territory and neither teacher wanted to clean up the aftermath of any fights. Both classes had been indifferent to either other before the change but now there was a hint of simmering tension. It made Bustier wonder if she’d been right to move a disruptive student like Marinette after all. It made Mendeleiev sure her colleague was a naive idiot who couldn’t tell Au from Pb.

The teachers flipped a coin to see which class would present their idea first. Mendeleiv won and Vivienne strode forward, flicking a lock of her wavy blonde hair behind her. She held a millennial pink clipboard in one hand and made a gesture for Brielle to join her at the front of the class. The class representative and her deputy. Brielle herself was holding a small stack of papers and seemed to be ready for something, but Bustier’s class couldn’t tell just what. 

"Brielle, pass them out please." Vivienne asked her deputy representative to make the girl stand up and begin passing out stapled sheets of paper to everyone in Bustier's class. Vivienne waited patiently until everyone including Mlle Bustier had a copy of the paperwork. Some students stared at Vivienne as they waited to get their copy of the paperwork with confused looks on their faces. Vivienne matched their stare easily with a slight smile that really gave nothing away, it was too professional. Once Brielle went back to Mendeliev's side with a nod Vivienne smiled as she addressed Bustier's students.

"Our class has thought hard on the project to best suit your class as a whole." Vivienne began speaking. "We've settled that the best project to give you would be for you all to write, prepare, and perform an original play. Comedy for the genre." 

Bustier's class was a bit taken aback from that, a comedic play? Where on earth did Mendeliev's class get _that_ idea? Mylene looked over to Mendeliev's class trying to figure out who would suggest a play for them to do. It was something they'd done before, around the time that she herself was akumatized as Horrificator due to her fear. They really haven't thought of having another play but this would be a good opportunity, and a comedy themed play guaranteed that it wouldn’t be scary, which was great for Mylene. She made eye contact with Marinette and seeing the girl's bright smile had Mylene thinking about just who suggested the original idea in the first place. That was just like Marinette, coming up with a project that everyone would enjoy and know how to execute. Even if she was in another class, Marinette was looking out for them.

"Now we've also taken some additional liberties on how you decide how the play should be done. We hope we are playing to your strengths. With the wonderful addition to our class like Marinette, adding in Marc and Ondine we're fairly sure we are having this play to your strengths. If you’ll forgive the pun," Vivienne added, gesturing over to the three she mentioned. Marinette blushed at the praise as she was pulled into a half hug by Marc while Aurore and Curtis patted her shoulders. Even Kagami and Bellamy joined in; giving the three a thumbs up that Ondine, Marc, and Marinette were more than happy in returning. 

"Now for the roles, we've set up Nino as the director, Rose as the screenwriter, the members of Kitty Section minus your guitarist can get together to compose music." Vivienne began listing off, with everyone's copies showing the same information. "Juleka would be in charge of makeup and hair, Ivan and Kim would be your muscle and build the sets. With Alix and Nathaniel painting sets and working on the artistic aspects, perhaps even costumes." 

As Viviene mentioned Kim and Ivan being the muscle the two boys couldn't help but look at each other and flex an arm almost showing their physical prowess. Kim even tried to over exaggerate in front of Alix which had the skater shake her head towards her friend's antics. Nino smiled at the prospect of being the director that had Marinette written all over it. To decide the perfect people for those roles. He hoped he could thank the girl as soon as both sides presented their projects. Of course his friend was looking out for them. 

"Your producer will be Chloe, Max and his robot friend, Markov. Really guys?" Vivienne stopped reading long enough to look back at Marc, Marinette and Ondine to see the veracity of what was written on their list. The three of them nodded seriously, which had Vivienne sigh at the fact that Bustier's class had a robot, no wonder they were so weird. "Well Max and Markov, we believe you both would be the coordinators of the event, setting apart time, ensuring budgets, and a way of obtaining supplies for your endeavors." 

"We will do our best." Max nodded, interrupting Vivienne causing the girl to frown. Honestly she was still giving out the roles, couldn't he wait until the end?

"Alya and Sabrina will have the options of two roles, either the stage hands or minor acting roles when needed." Vivienne continued as she looked at the class. "Once the sets are ready, if more people are needed Kim, Ivan, Alix, and Nathaniel can also join in as supporting cast. Now for those selected as actors we have placed Mylene as the leading role as well as adding in-”

"You've even chosen the leading roles?' Lila couldn't help blurting out the question causing Vivienne to pause.

"Is there a problem with that, Miss Rossi?" Vivienne asked, annoyed at the second interruption. "You didn’t have any complaints when we announced what roles we’d chosen for the other members of your class.. Once again, we've done this all based off of individual strengths and have acted accordingly. So what is the issue with Mylene having the leading role?"

"Well..." Lila began making sure to have her voice seem pitiful. "Work like that should be chosen, but you can't be sure who the best actors would be unless you hold an audition right? I mean I wouldn't be sure who gave the idea on who the actors should be..." Lila tried to point out appearing unsure, almost trying to bring up that it could be Marinette's fault, since they hadn't mentioned what was chosen for her. She could spin it that Marinette didn't trust Lila to do a good job in anything which is why they hadn't spoken about her job. Alya was quick to place a comforting hand on Lila, followed by Rose and Alix.

"Maybe Lila is right concerning the actors." Mlle Bustier spoke up, causing Vivienne to frown thoughtfully. "Just choosing them off the bat could be too restrictive."

"She may or may not be right, but the situation is that we were left in charge of deciding your project. I'm sure when you assign work you don't allow your students to barter and haggle for what they would rather do, we have simply followed what M Damocles stated we should do." Vivienne pointed out diplomatically causing Bustier to nod her head in agreement. _What a pushover and_ **_she’s_ ** _the teacher,_ Vivienne couldn't help but think.

"Besides, Mylene is in the drama club and has acted in school productions. She's the one we know for a fact who can act. We’ve decided tasks according to your strengths, of course we would assign Mylene to be an actress with the leading role. If we wanted to set you up for failure we would have placed Mylene in something else so she couldn't shine as an actress and possibly give you all a good standing." Vivienne added in a no nonsense tone that Mendeliev couldn't help but feel proud of. Some of the kids in Mendeliev's class couldn't help but snicker at how quickly Vivienne shut the speculations down. "We wouldn't want to be told we were deliberately sabotaging your class by not picking your best student as your lead."

"That's our class rep," Marc whispered to Marinette and Kagami causing the girls to nod. 

Marinette personally had not spent a lot of time with Vivienne when she was class rep for Bustier's class. She's always known that Vivienne was very efficient, but she had never seen the girl speaking up like that before. Vivienne had always been focused and professional but always polite. The way she handled Bustier's class, simply pointing things out and having Mlle Bustier agree had Marinette amazed. Mlle Bustier never really paid much attention when Marinette tried to bring up situations at most times. Kagami couldn't help but see the class representative with respect considering how easily she handled the teacher. 

"Now as I was saying, you’ve been given an acting part as well, Miss Rossi, and I am sure you can do just as well with a supporting role. Adrien you’ve been given an acting part as well, after all I have been informed you acted in one of Nino's projects before. Not to mention playing Chat Noir in that animated movie. Very well, I might add. I'm sure you will help out as much as you can, photoshoots permitting." Vivienne finished speaking having listed off every job for Bustier's students for their play. 

"The paperwork I passed out also has everyone's roles selected so everyone can be on the same page. I also took the liberty and added some prop stores Aurore has mentioned that the drama club uses. As well as some stores you can look in for costumes, to help you guys get started as far as supplies go." Brielle added in tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Now that we're done, please tell us." Vivienne curiously asked, opening up her clipboard and readying her pen since she saw no one had any paperwork to give to them. Unorganized, that was another thing that Vivienne had tacked onto her impression for Bustier’s class. "What have you chosen for us?" 

Now while her words were spoken politely, the students of Bustier's class couldn't help but feel challenged by the representative's words. It was an obvious "bring it on" that had them thinking about, perhaps dreading, what the other class’ reaction would be to their assignment. Adrien frowned as he thought about it, Mendeliev's class had come up with a project that catered to everyone's strengths. He and the class had worried that the project would be very difficult, but a comedy play with people like Nino, Rose, and even Chloe in charge would be in their favor. With her bossy tendencies and experience with delegating tasks, Chloe would take to being a producer with enthusiasm, and if Adrien took the time to remind Chloe that producers tend to help with the funding (based on what his cousin Felix had told him), the class might have a better budget. 

He was sure that it was mainly Marinette's idea, after all she is always looking out for her friends and was so considerate. But the project that his class chose....that Lila brought up, would only fit one student: Marinette herself. He knew Mireille was a weather girl, Kagami a fencer, Ondine a swimmer, and Aurore liked fashion. Aurore could possibly help Marinette out so maybe she’s not totally alone! He couldn’t even imagine anyone else in Mendeliev’s class who could possibly help Marinette do anything, except maybe model the clothing. Adrien couldn't help but feel worried again, what if Marinette was stuck doing everything because the kids of Mendeliev's class couldn't help much because they didn't know how? Or since his class didn't choose who would do what they might not feel the need to? Now Adrien was second guessing himself, he should have texted Marinette and given her a heads up. 

Everyone seemed to have the same thought he did because they were all staring at Marinette, holding their breath and waiting for her reaction.

The center of attention looked frozen in place. Only her eyes moved, scanning all of her former classmates, skimming over Lila and finally settling on Adrien. What was that look in her eye? Nervous? Worried? Angry? He wished he knew her better so he could interpret her moods.

“Oh my gosh,” the noirette finally managed. “A fashion show! With my designs! In front of the whole school. Everyone would be watching!”

“And we could livestream it! Either on the Ladyblog or maybe the school’s homepage!” Alya burst out.

Everyone turned away from Marinette to gape at Alya and the reporter looked uncharacteristically shy. “Well, you guys don’t mind , of course. If Principal Damocles gives his permission.”

“I’ll make you a counteroffer,” Vivienne spoke up. Kagami and Bellamy were trying to comfort the pig tailed girl but she still seemed in awe or in shock. “You can livestream our fashion show if _we_ can do the same with your play.” This was an unexpected development and Mendeleiev’s class nodded in agreement. They could talk to Viv about making decisions for everyone else without their input but that could be done in the privacy of their classroom.

A reciprocal livestream, this just got better and better. Not only would everyone see Marinette fail in real time, they would be witnesses as Lila’s fame grew beyond the school. No more having to lie about knowing celebrities, she could be one herself. If the play went well she could possibly springboard into an acting career to go along with her budding modelling career. All without barely lifting a finger. All she would have to do is maneuver herself into the starring role. Mylene was a pushover for a sob story so that would be easy. Getting Adrien to be her leading man would be more difficult but she was sure a few crocodile tears would make him fall in line.

Acting was just lying with a script. She’d be a natural.

“What do you think, Marinette?” The model had managed to gently push his way through the designer’s protectors and stood near Kagami. The blond boy from the other class glared and put a comforting arm around the stunned noirette’s shoulders but didn’t speak.

His former classmate turned her glassy blue eyes to him. “I...I don’t know what to say…” her voice was shaky and her hands trembled. She wanted to be excited but all she could feel was a cold, painful knot in her stomach and a chill sliding over her skin.

“We thought it up with you in mind, girl,” Alya informed her. She would have felt bad for taking credit away from Lila but the girl had insisted on sharing it. She was so sweet.

Marinette’s head slowly turned in her best friend’s direction. “This is...for me? You thought it up for me? Alya…”

The ombre haired girl grinned at her best friend. “Yeah, well, I know it’s a softball project for you but like the principal said, this group thing is all about showcasing what we’ve learned over the year and our talents.”

There were happy murmurs all around and only Lila and Adrien noticed how strained the designer’s smile was and how close she looked to fainting. The Italian was delighted; Adrien less so. He wanted to reach out to help her, perhaps beg his father for a favor but he knew if he even suggested it then he would be seen as interfering with another class’ project and he didn’t want to risk upsetting everyone right now. It would only cause more tension between the two classes and stress people out right before beginning a monumental project worth twenty percent of their grade. Probably best if he kept his mouth shut.

_Aw, is the poor princess about to faint? Have a nervous breakdown?_ Lila tried her best to keep the glee off her face. Little Mlle. Goody-Goody was doing a halfway decent job to appear happy and grateful for the assignment she was given that Bustier’s class didn’t notice her distress. They were all too busy self-congratulating for giving their little idol an “easy assignment” that they didn’t notice the _poor dear_ was seconds away from bawling her eyes out. Oh, how fun would it be if the little darling had a panic attack and had to be hospitalized before the project even began? No, bad idea. Then she’d have even more sympathy as everyone worried about her. Then she’d have _two_ classes under her thrall as her old classmates would fall all over themselves to help her recovery. Ugh, this would mean someone would have to help the girl rally and she had no intention of doing it herself. Maybe Adrien could be useful. He couldn’t resist being a white knight, especially to a natural victim like Dupain-Cheng.

_I don’t even have to sabotage her. All I have to do is sit back and let her wreck everything on her own. Or, I can just upstage her. Not even_ **_Adrien_ ** _would be able to save her then._

She was just about to approach the boy and whisper a suggestion about helping his “very good friend” overcome her nerves but Mendeleiev beat her to it.

“Well, I think that covers everything. Students, we should return to class and start brainstorming ideas. Start creating a budget, select roles, since Mlle. Cesaire forgot her paperwork,” she gave the aspiring journalist a stern look over her glasses. “No time to waste! Let’s go,” she gave her colleague a look over her shoulder. “Good luck, Caline.”

The literature teacher blinked. “Um, same to you, Demeter.”

The scientist nodded curtly and began to escort her pupils back to her class.

Bustier’s class waved at their friend, who still hadn’t moved. Bellamy gently turned her towards the door. “Come on, future fashion icon,” he told her gently and he and Curtis all but carried her back where she belonged.

“Awww!” Rose cooed as the other class was completely gone. “Did you see Marinette’s face? She was so excited she couldn’t even speak!”

“She’s probably already thinking of design ideas,” Juleka muttered. “I’m still a little jealous I can’t model for her.”

“Maybe she’ll let you model the clothes for her website after the show,” Alya tried to cheer the Goth girl up. “Or sell them to us, recoup the cost of materials. She winked at her boyfriend. “Maybe she should try a swimwear line this time. Easier to make, less material. I bet I could rock a bikini.”

Nino pretended to fan himself. “Babe...don’t give me ideas!”

*****

Now that the excitement of the announcement was over, Mendeleiev’s class was a bit more subdued. There were no formal lessons for the duration of the group project so the students could talk freely as long as they weren’t disruptive. Mme. Mendeleiev was relaxing the rules a bit, but she still insisted on safety standards and following school guidelines.

“Well, since Bustier’s class couldn’t be bothered to give anyone a role other than Marinette-” Vivienne began.

“Big surprise,” Brielle snarked. “With her gone, no one has any idea how to organize, delegate or plan anything. Well, except maybe the robot.”

“It’s up to us to assign our own,” Vivienne gave her deputy a brief glare and then went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “We have the design part covered but we’re still going to need models, a host, music, backstage coordination and a budget. I think the best thing to do would be to break down all the jobs that need to be done into manageable pieces so no one is overwhelmed. We’ll also see what resources everyone can contribute, physical or financial and then-”

“Um, Viv?” Brielle interrupted, more polite this time.

“Yes, what is it, Bri?” the class rep answered, a bit testy this time. She could understand Bustier’s class interrupting her; they had no manners or discipline but now her right hand was doing the same thing.

The girl will the blonde bob looked from her friend to their new classmate. “I think someone is _already_ overwhelmed.”

Vivienne forgot to be disgruntled as she stared at the young designer. Her face was chalk white and her body trembled, eyes open but unseeing. She’d been quiet since they’d come back to class but Viv just thought she was touched at her old class’ thoughtfulness and busy planning designs in her head.

Kagami had never seen her new friend look so helpless and afraid. She was always so optimistic and bubbly; she was even proud of how the other girl was beginning to calm down around their mutual crush. Now she looked as if she were about to fade away.

She hesitated, then put her arms around the pig tailed girl. “Marinette? It’s Kagami. Can you hear me?”

Marinette began to babble, softly at first and then gradually gaining in volume. “Me...fashion show...designed by me...two months! Concept, sew, present...can’t do it...impossible. I’m going to ruin everything! The show will be a disaster and then everyone will have bad grades for the entire year and hate me! I’ll have to move to an island...change my name...I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” She wailed.

Mendeleiev looked alarmed rather than angry and looked the girl over. “She’s having a panic attack. Bellamy!” she snapped, “you know what to do!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Bellamy went from zero to “Mama Bear Mode” and raced to a supply cabinet. Once there he pulled out a pink and white knitted bundle and raced to Marinette’s side. Once there he unfurled the cloth and wrapped it around the catatonic girl’s shoulders. He also wrapped his arms around the noirette and said to Kagami, “Feel free to hug her a little harder. She needs the tactile sensation and warmth to ground her.” To the rest of the class he called out. “Akuma defense positions. _Now_.”

The class got up and embraced the trio, whispering soothing words to the anxious designer.

“You’re alright.”

“We’ll work it out.”

“We’re here for you.”

“You’re not alone.”

“Let us help you.”

“You’ve got this!”

“We’ve got this!”

“You’re okay, you’re safe.”

“Breathe, Marinette. Match my breathing. That’s it...slow and steady...there ya go.”

The frightened girl blinked and the world came back into view. Sound also returned and she felt the warmth of all of her new classmates surrounding her, doing their best to touch her, to let her know she wasn’t alone. Her eyes began to mist and she blinked it away, deciding to concentrate on the lovely knitted blanket covering her.

“This is beautiful,” she said as she stroked it. She looked at Bellamy with a grateful smile. “Your work?”

The blond boy beamed with pride. “Yep! It’s my version of the shock blanket paramedics use to calm injured or traumatized people down. Everyone in class has a personalized one but we keep a few extras on hand for visitors or if someone’s taken theirs home to wash.”

“The group hug was my idea,” Curtis boasted. “It’s great when someone’s feeling alone or frustrated. It reminds them that they’re not and helps them process their emotions so they have a way to cope.” He grinned at Marinette. “I think it’s why hardly any of us got akumatized.”

“Except me,” Aurore reminded him sadly.

"Did you forget about me?" Ondine asked.

Marc timidly raised a hand. "I was akumatized too."

"As have I," Kagami reminded them.

“Ah but that was BB. ‘Before blankets,’” Bellamy reassured her. He looked over at Kagami, Marc, and Ondine. "And all of you were akumatized _before_ you joined our class. We'll work together to prevent that from happening again." The transfer students smiled at him happily.

“Besides, the first time was off school grounds and Alex unfairly humiliated you on television.” Mireille’s voice was gentle but she still hadn’t forgiven the TVi host. “And the second...well, we all know about the ‘Chloe Bourgeois Effect’.”

The class laughed and after a moment Marinette joined in, feeling reassured. They had her back! This was an incredible feeling.

She smiled and then stopped. “But...the fashion show…”

“We’ll work that out,” Vivienne told her. “We’ll be glad to help you design and we’ll all pitch in, right guys?”

“I do my own cosplay so I can definitely help,” Zayan volunteered.

“My mom owns a sewing machine,” Curtis told the girl.

“Mireille and I can model,” Aurore spoke up with a flick of one of her twin tails. “We’re used to being in front of crowds and we have a good sense of style.”

“Me too!” Ondine raised her hand and waved it around. “I’ve got the height!”

“I’ll be the host, naturally,” Jean separated from the hug and struck a dramatic pose. “Who else but me would have the...flair!”

Marinette giggled and was reminded of Chat Noir. “There’s no one I’d rather ask, Jean.”

The curly haired magician pretended to blush when Mendeleiev stood up and the children parted for her.

“This is all well and good,” she began, “I need to talk to Marinette alone for a moment. The rest of you divide up the tasks and we’ll reconvene and vote so everyone has a say and is comfortable with what they’re being asked to do.” The science teacher was stern, but she was also fair and the noirette appreciated that. She was logical and measured and Marinette was rapidly becoming fond of her.

Kagami went from gentle to protective. “Why must you speak to Marinette alone? She’s done nothing wrong, the situation was beyond her control.” She glowered up at the teacher. She knew she could be risking her science grade but Marinette was the first female companion she’d ever had and she wouldn’t allow her to be browbeaten by anyone.

The famed Tsurugi Glare paled in comparison to the Mendeleiev Scowl. “I never said Marinette was in trouble, only that I wanted to talk to her in private. “ Her face softened just a bit. “Your loyalty is commendable but I would never lecture a student who was already emotionally compromised.”

Kagami backed down and offered her teacher a bow. “Forgive my presumption, Mme. Mendeleiev.”

“Apology accepted,” she walked out of the classroom and towards the small utility closet that served as her office. “Come along, Marinette.”

*****

Once they were alone Mendeleiev was quick to reassure her newest pupil. “As I said, I just wanted to talk. Now I’m not one for pep talks but you look like you need a little adult support.” She told her student.

“Thank you?” Marinette was confused. She’d rarely seen the gentler side of the scientist; it was as refreshing as it was baffling.

The teacher nodded. “Now I’m sure your friends thought they were doing a favor by assigning you a fashion show and didn’t think about all the work required. Really, Caline should have had paperwork prepared for us like Vivienne did but that’s no longer important. The important thing is,” Mendeleiev laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “You’re not alone in this. Unlike your previous homeroom I don’t believe in giving one student the majority of the work. Everyone will help each other equally and we’re here if you need inspiration. We even have a class chat so you can coordinate your schedule with everyone else.”

Marinette was nearly ready to cry with gratitude. She now wished she’d been in Mendeleiv’s class from the start of the school year, even if it meant never befriending Alya or Adrien; the class atmosphere was so much healthier for her and it hadn’t even been a week.

“That being said,” Mendeleiev surprised her by giving her a sly wink and a grin. “I’m sure _luck_ will be on your side, seeing how you’re such a _multi_ -talented young woman.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone kindly pointed out that I forgot about Marc's akumatization. I edited this chapter to reflect that, along with Ondine and Kagami. Thanks for letting me know!


	6. Did you just make a pun?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One secret is out but Marinette has a new support network and a great idea. She just needs a theme.

**_Chapter 6: “Did you just make a pun?”_ **

Marinette stilled. Her whole body seized, not from panic, but from shock. Mendeleiev’s smile was still in place and she could swear the woman winked at her. 

“Did...did you just make a pun, Madame?” she asked. No, that was the wrong thing to focus on. She needed to think. She thought back to the day the purple haired woman had been akumatized as Kwamibuster and had seized Tikki from her. So she had gone to Master Fu and used all of the available kwami to free Creation and Destruction. Without Tikki available she had transformed into Multimouse and…

_ Oh, dear. _

She had thought only Chat Noir had seen her “de-transformation” and completely forgot Mme. Mendeleiev had been there as well. She must have seen everything that happened prior to Chat escorting the woman home.

“You...you know. You saw-” the girl stammered. She knew what her teacher wanted more than anything was to make a great discovery and be respected as a scientist. Now because of her carelessness she might have handed the opportunity over to Mme. Mendeleiev gift-wrapped.

The scientist surprised her by putting a finger to her lips. “Shhh. This place is hardly soundproof and there’s always the possibility someone is eavesdropping. But to answer your question, yes I saw your…” she held her fists to her head in an approximation of mouse ears, “...secret.”

“And you don’t even have to ask me to keep it,” Mendeleiev reassured her before she could even ask. “There’s no way I’d risk Hawk Moth knowing the identities of any of Paris’ heroes, much less one of my students.”

The woman smirked as she realized her colleague had no idea she’d thrown away a promising student who was also a city defender. “I suppose this explains all your tardies and sudden trips to the bathroom.”

Marinette felt her shoulders sag with relief. So her teacher didn’t suspect she was Ladybug, just a part time hero who could no longer wield a Miraculous now that her identity was known. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I hope you understand why I couldn’t tell you.” She sighed. “Although, since you and Chat Noir both saw me, Ladybug can no longer give me a Miraculous.”

“True, but I’m sure you can help her in other ways. You’re a bright girl and I have no doubt Ladybug could use a smart civilian liaison such as yourself.” The teacher was brimming with questions. “Do you have a way of contacting your...spotted friend? Do you know who she is? How did she receive…” Mendeleiev cut herself off. “My apologies. I know there’s no way you could tell me, even if you knew. Even being trusted with a Miraculous once could cause you to be targeted. For the sake of Paris and your future, I’ll keep your secrets.”

“Thank you, Mme. Mendeleiev,” Marinette nearly fell over herself with gratitude. She doubted Master Fu would approve but Mendeleiev had already seen Marinette as Multimouse and it felt good to have another adult to confide in. One who was much more accessible and didn’t have her identity compromised. An adult who wouldn’t brush her concerns aside or expect her to solve them without guidance or help.

“You’re welcome,” the teacher gave her a smile. “Well, keeping something like that to yourself would explain your anxiety. Although your coursework combined with class rep duties and your design work doesn’t help.”

“That’s not even the half of it.” All of her thoughts began to rise to the surface and she found herself unloading. “All the akuma attacks! I just want to hide all the time. I keep thinking ‘Is this the one that’s going to kill me? Or my family?’” It wasn’t a lie; she often thought of the day she would go down and never get back up. Her parents would forever wonder what had really happened to her.

“That is...unfortunately, a realistic fear,” the scientist consoled. “A robot came for my student and I couldn’t protect him. I can only imagine what you must feel.”

“Hawk Moth has akumatized four members of my family!” Marinette went on. “A giant baby threw a donut through my room and I was nearly crushed. Ladybug saved me but...you know?”

Mendeleiev took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s...normal to imagine the worst case scenarios when we live with all the daily stress and anxiety Hawk Moth brought with him. Expressing your feelings in a controlled environment like the classroom is a healthy way to reduce the risk of an akumatization. Marinette,” the teacher frowned before continuing. “You’re an intelligent girl with lots of talent. That being said, if you feel unsure that you can handle this fashion show, I’ll go to Damocles himself and have Bustier’s class give us a different assignment.” It would kill her to admit defeat to the principal or her colleague but she wouldn’t let a child have a breakdown to save her own pride.

Marinette allowed herself to cry then and felt guilty for misjudging the science teacher. She was stern, and pretty tactless, but not unkind. She had been right to stop Nathaniel from drawing in class, even though her methods were wrong. Marinette saw how much Mendeliev cared for her students and made sure they learned. Mendeliev herself even mentioned that she had an open door policy and was willing to continue teaching and explaining things so her students would understand the material and not have failing grades, she didn’t give up. Mendeleiev was a good teacher and a good person; to the designer at that moment: “good” was far superior to “nice”. Or “complacent.” 

“No, it’s okay,” she reassured her teacher. She could do this. She had help, _ real _ adult support as well as a class that wouldn’t let her flounder. “I want to try. It’s an amazing opportunity to make a name for myself and if the whole class helps, then...it’ll be okay.”

“You’re sure?” Mendeleiev questioned.

Marinette nodded and gave her teacher a smile and to her surprise it was returned. “I’m sure. I’ll do my best. I promise.”

“I know,” Mendeleiev’s tone was confident without being arrogant. “But if for any reason you feel in over your head, you are to let me know immediately. Are we clear?” she finished, sounding more like her usual self.

“Yes, Mme. Mendeleiev,” the designer wiped her face and squared her shoulders.

The woman could tell her student was feeling more emotionally stable and breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. We’ve been in here long enough. I’m sure your classmates would like to know you feel better now.”

*****

"Oh poor Marinette." Marc sighed sadly after seeing how Mendeleiev took the poor girl away from the rest of the class. 

"I should've paid closer attention." Bellamy added, taking out his phone and appearing to write something in it. "I should have predicted seeing her old class would be anxiety-inducing, even  _ before _ receiving the group project assignment. We should make sure we try to keep her from feeling overwhelmed again, guys." 

"Agreed." Kagami spoke up, keeping an eye on the door that Mme Mendeleiev and Marinette left through. Her friend was struggling and she didn't immediately notice, which left a bad taste in her mouth. Kagami was going to watch Marinette like a hawk when she came back, to make sure that the other girl felt safe and okay.

"Mme Mendeleiev will make sure she’s in good hands. Now it'll be our job to reassure her that we won't expect her to do everything. That will start with organizing ourselves, the more prepared we are the less we can descend into panic or chaos." Viv spoke up, going towards the blackboard and taking control of the class. 

She wrote off 'theme', 'supplies', 'jobs', and 'budget'. Separating things into their own categories as a chart, making use of the various colored chalks Mme Mendeleiev had at her disposal. Under supplies she notated 'Curtis-sewing machine?' as a possible supply they could use, then she wrote down 250 under budget. With jobs she wrote down 'Jean-host', ‘Aurore, Mireille, Ondine-models' as those were some of the jobs needed, and those classmates already spoke up with interest in doing them. Vivienne had some idea on how custom clothing would work, due to all the costumes she's bought for her gymnastic competitions. Yet decorated leotards and knowing how to do a basic hem stitch if there were any tears, are not ideal when someone thinks about fashion. More importantly a fashion type runway show. She had a few extras though, maybe they could dye the leotards and use them as a base to build up on, so Vivienne wrote down '5 Leotards-Viv'. It was a start.

"Now the most important things we need to figure out is what would be important for us to do. First off will be our budget. I won a competition last month and if I explain the situation I can bring in 250 euros for our budget. Maison, what's in our rainy day funds that we can use?"

"We have a good amount." Maison spoke having pulled out his accounting book for the class looking for the funds Vivienne asked for. "We can work with approx 300 euros from the rainy days fund." 

"Wonderful so we will have 550 euros as a starting point. Bellamy are there any needles and the sort you would be willing to share?" Vivienne asked Bellamy, ready to write it down under supplies if the boy said yes. 

"I have needles, yarn, ribbons, and a collection of buttons we can use." Bellamy agreed without thinking it twice, having Vivienne nod her head and write it down. 

"Zayan, you mentioned cosplay. That means you can do basic stitches?" Vivienne asked. 

"Yeah." Zayan agreed. 

"Ok, Bellamy would be best in helping with the bigger sewing aspects, but for simple things you can I can help out and possibly teach the others how to do it. That way we lessen the burden with Marinette and Bellamy." Vivienne nodded pleased, placing down all three of their names with a note of 'can do some sewing and stitching'. 

"Kagami, would you mind modeling? I think your stance and grace would be a good eye catcher for the runway." Vivienne asked the fencer. 

"I don't see a problem with that." Kagami agreed, genuinely pleased at the compliment. She wouldn’t consider her stance graceful, more powerful, but she did agree that it could be considered an eye catcher. Even then her eyes kept glancing towards the door and she noticed that many of her classmates did the same. 

"When the show happens who would like to help out backstage?" Viv asked, after all not everyone was comfortable or confident enough to model. 

"Me, please." Marc shot up his hand, "I am not comfortable with the idea of walking in front of so many people." 

"I'll join backstage, I can do any damage control and help Marinette in case there's a last minute adjustments or fixes needed." Bellamy spoke up with a smile. 

"I can coordinate things backstage." Brielle pointed out raising her hand too. 

"I can take care of the music." Maison brought up seeing how Vivienne went writing everything down on the boards. 'Bellamy-Assistant', 'Marc-Stage hand', 'Brielle-Coordinator', and his own name 'Maison-Music' were diligently written down. 

"Vivienne," Alicia spoke up raising her hand high, it was the first time the girl spoke up that day. Being a naturally quiet person Alicia wasn't one to take up people's attention easily. "I can take care of hair and make up, I have a good collection of pallets we can use, my sister is a hairstylist too so we can ask for a consultation on how to achieve some hairstyles."

"Perfect, with this I think we have enough backstage roles, and these will only really work once the clothes are made. So this will be considered phase 2." Vivienne wrote circling everything and writing phase 2 in a different chalk color. "So Curtis, Zayan would you too mind modeling with the girls?"

"Sure, it'll show a nice diversity." Curtis beamed ready to join in on the fun. "Right Zayan?" 

"Yeah." Zayan agreed. 

"Ok phase 2 is settled with, we'll wait for Marinette to choose what she would like in the end, I can model or work backstage if needed, depending on her wishes." Vivienne nodded pleased. "Now none of this will work unless we have some options and ideas on the clothing to begin with. Maybe we can get some options for theme and style out but do a final vote when Marinette comes back. Agreed?"

The others chimed in their various agreements. Yet the mention of Marinette once again had Kagami looking at the door. She was getting worried. What could Mendeliev be thinking, speaking with Marinette now of all times? They had just brought her back from a panic attack, and Kagami couldn't fathom a teacher like Mendeliev be good at comfort. While it was great that the teacher noticed the situation in the first place, she herself didn't participate in the comforting. After all, Bellamy was the one who called the shots the moment he understood the situation once it was pointed out. So what was Mendeliev doing? 

"If they're not back within the next five minutes I'm going out to look for them." Kagami ground out with a slight glare, keeping her eyes firmly locked on the door. 

"Mme Mendeliev could have taken Marinette to a quiet space, let the girl catch her breath." Vivienne pointed out to Kagami, but she wasn't completely against the idea. 

The two of them were taking a bit too long, and Vivienne couldn't help but feel a little responsible for that. She should have kept a closer eye on Marinette. It just went to show how Bustier's class must have treated the girl as they threw a project with only Marinette in mind and they didn't even think to consider how the girl would react. Along with the fact that they left everything purposefully vague; of course Marinette would believe the majority of the responsibility would befall her shoulders. She was well known for her design work in the school, anyone who had internet access (re: EVERYONE) could easily bring up that Marinette has designed for THE Jagged Stone before. 

So it would be a no brainer to give her a design challenge, but that's where the issue lay. If they managed to keep Marinette calm and focused, it might be glorious. If she slips and falters it will be a huge fall of despair; which no doubt is what the young designer had hyper focused on. Not the possibility of success, but the probability of failure that caused her to have a panic attack. Bustier's class only thought about one person: Marinette, and didn’t even have the single thought or decency about considering how such a big thing could affect their supposed friend’s mental health. They didn’t think about Mendeliev's class as a whole, which annoyed Vivienne.

Kim and Nathaniel were dating Ondine and Marc respectively. Shouldn't they have some idea of what their class was good at? Could they not have thought of something that wasn’t so blatantly targeting one student? Was this their way of ‘getting back’ at Marinette because she frankly left that flaming dumpster fire of a classroom? Ok sure, maybe Vivienne was feeling petty at how disorganized the other class was, and the obvious way that their teacher was not being an actual leader but a complacent pushover annoyed the class representative. It didn't matter as much now because the situation had been handled, but it was Vivienne's job to help her fellow classmates to organize and execute a plan. Their class was going to excel with teamwork if she had anything to say about it.

*****

By the time Mme. Mendeleiev and Marinette returned, Vivienne and Brielle had finally convinced Kagami and Bellamy  _ not _ to go on a rescue mission to save the noirette. The science teacher wasn’t cruel and she and the designer were probably just discussing a practical strategy to avoid future panic attacks. The two overprotective students grumbled but took their seats with the rest of the class.

Marinette looked at the class, who looked at her, then the blackboard, then back to her expectantly. She blinked as she finally noticed the writing. “Is that...for the group project?”

Mendeleiev shut the door behind them and sat down at her desk. She would let her students work this out and wouldn’t interrupt unless they needed her. She could only imagine all the worst case scenarios some of the children were imagining while she was away. Really, just because she wasn’t the touch-feely type like Caline didn’t mean she lacked compassion for a pupil who was struggling. She would never admit it aloud but there was a small part of her that was hurt anyone might think otherwise.

Marinette looked over what Vivienne and the others had come up with. They had broken up the workload into manageable bites, with everyone having a task of their own. She was pleased to see they’d already taken the budget into account and separated the “operations” side from the “talent” side. 

“This is...this is amazing!” Marinette’s eyes shone with gratitude. She felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. The class rep and the rest of her new homeroom had effortlessly delegated and drew upon their strengths to find a role for everyone in the project without her having to lift a finger. She was honestly surprised no one in Bustier had thought of doing this themselves. Max and Markov were incredibly organized and the AI could access the Internet if he needed a flowchart. Plus Max, Juleka, Kim, Sabrina and Rose had all been in class with Brielle and Curtis so they should know what their former classmates were good at. Well, Chloe had been as well, but she would have ignored anything that didn’t directly benefit herself.

She hoped her friends had just gotten excited over the prospect of giving her what they thought to be an easy project and forgotten the other teens as an honest mistake. Maybe Lila...no. She didn’t have time to think about the skilled liar or...or anyone else. Her new class was counting on her to do her part and Kwami help her, she would.

“I take it from your reaction that you are pleased?” Kagami asked. She was only beginning to learn her new friend’s emotional reactions and hoped she was guessing correctly.

“Pleased doesn’t begin to describe it,” Marinette flashed a warm smile aimed at her friend but half the boys in the class were hit by the fallout. That girl was dangerously cute and they were all lucky she didn’t know that. “Everything’s delegated so I don’t have to! The whole class gets to show off what they’re good at! All I really have to do is show up and create some designs. You’ve even thought about who should model,” Marinette’s smile turned into friendly teasing. “I hope you’re all ready for your modelling debuts.”

“ _ Born _ ready,” Aurore answered with a hair toss that would make Chloe Bourgeois proud. She grinned then sobered. “We hope you don’t mind but we thought it would help if we organized and had a plan in place so you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. We don’t want you to feel left out of the decision making process so if you want to change something, let us know.”

Marinette told herself she was not going to cry in public, even tears of joy. In a choked voice she managed, “I wouldn’t change a thing! Bellamy and Zayan are going to help with the sewing so I’m not rushing to finish seven complete outfits in two months! This is the most amazing group project I’ve ever been a part of and this is just the planning meeting!”

Everyone laughed and Marinette sat beside Kagami, who gave her a friendly shoulder squeeze. The designer laughed along with them until she noticed the blackboard again.

“‘Five leotards Viv’?” she read out loud under “Supplies.”

“Er...yeah,” Vivienne played with her hair with a nervous chuckle. “I’m a gymnast, you see, and I have these old leotards I don’t use anymore. Some are the bodysuit type, some are full-body, but aside from a few signs of wear they’re in good shape and I thought we could remove any embellishments and repair or dye them, then they could be used as the basis of an outfit so we wouldn’t have to do too much sewing. You know, a bathing suit, a tank top, that sort of thing.”

Suddenly Marinette’s face changed. She’d gone from panicky and unsure of herself to focused, inspired, and (although Viv and Bri had only seen this version of Marinette at student council meetings) in charge. She stood up and approached the wavy-haired blonde. “Could you repeat what you just said? About the leotards I mean.”

Vivienne was confused but complied. “Sure, Marinette. I have these old leotards I don’t use anymore. We could use them for the basis of new outfits so we only have to do a minimum amount of sewing. That way we’re not overloading you, Bellamy, and Zayan with the sewing and you wouldn’t have to create a totally new outfit.”

“I would only have to adapt something from a pre-existing garment!” the designer exclaimed. “Oh, I’d add my own flair of course and we’d need to pick clothing made from quality material but even if it were torn or stained or dirty it wouldn’t matter! We could dye or mend it. Heck, even incorporate some tears or something into some of the designs.” Her mind was racing as ideas and strategies bloomed in her mind. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled and there was something about her certainty and enthusiasm that made the class want to follow her anywhere.

_ So, that’s what charisma looks like _ . Marc thought to himself. He was reminded of the classic trope where the heroes were injured, scattered and disheartened. The leader was dead or missing and they didn’t have much in the way of resources or even hope. Then suddenly someone, maybe the second in command or even the lead hero’s sidekick would rally the group, talk about how they were down but not out and think of creative ways to use what resources and skills they had to beat the villain and save the day. He wondered if she’d mind if he used her as a character.

_ She’d make an amazing superhero, klutz or not. Or, president of France, I could see her as either. _

Mme Mendeleiev put her hand over her mouth to hide a smile. Caline had once told her how the girl had barricaded her class inside the mayor’s office while an akuma tried to claim Paris for himself. She’d scoffed at the time but now she could believe it. The frightened child was gone and in her place was a young woman to be reckoned with. She looked forward to hearing more of the girl’s plans.

“Upcycling!” Marinette burst out, remembering something she read online. “That’s what you call it when you create something new by adapting an existing garment. It’s perfect for our project. Not only would we save money and conserve our resources,” this made the class treasurer very happy, “but it’s a good way to use your creativity!” She now had the whole class listening. “And let’s not forget it’s also scientifically sound!” Mme. Mendeleiev raised her head, interested. “And how exactly does this project incorporate science, Marinette?”

The noirette turned her shining eyes to her teacher, not at all cowed by the woman’s usual harsh tone. “Ecology! It’s basically recycling, which helps reduce our carbon footprint, reuses resources, and keeps useful items out of landfills.” She began to pace up and down the center aisle but even the science teacher was too interested in what she had to say to stop her.

“Five leotards is a good place to start, thanks again Vivienne, but we’ll need more. Everyone can look through any old clothing they might have around the house. Or,” Marinette’s smile grew as she began to expound on her idea. “Paris is home to the world’s biggest flea market,  _ Les Puces de Saint-Ouen!  _ I bet we could find some great pieces there. We could go on Saturday and look around, either as a group or in teams of two. We can keep in touch via cell phone. Everyone takes a certain amount of money with them, the same amount for each team. Just remember to look for quality material rather than attractive clothing. We can make them cute later. Once we find enough clothes for me to work with I can start brainstorming design ideas and then we can start with dying and alterations. This is gonna be so awesome!”

Everyone cheered for the little designer, caught up in her enthusiasm. Vivienne usually didn’t like it when someone took over classroom meetings without asking permission but just this once, she didn’t care. She was just glad Marinette had recovered from her panic attack. It was a good sign but didn’t guarantee it would never happen again. However, now they knew what to look for and they wouldn’t let her struggle alone next time. The class rep was still annoyed with Bustier’s class for their lack of foresight and organization but that didn’t matter now. She looked forward to blowing their minds with Marinette’s ideas.

Bellamy was too proud for words of his newest baby girl. Not only did her idea incorporate creativity, budgeting, and fun (flea market, woo!) but using Ecology as well? That wasn’t just clever, it was inspired. Not only did using science in conjunction with fashion honor their homeroom teacher but he knew most of the school would love it. With all the recent debate on climate change and the environment many kids their age were becoming activists. Plus it was something much more enjoyable than just picketing.

It was Ondine who inadvertently brought their little party crashing back to Earth. “So! What should the show theme be?”

Marinette’s smile faded a bit but didn’t completely go away. “I have no idea!” The students groaned a bit in disappointment but she went on. “Just give me until Saturday to come up with something! Or, one of you can! Or we could all think of a theme and vote.”

“As long as it’s not ‘Save the Earth’ and we all dress up as dolphins caught in nets or something,” Alicia told her. “It’s been done and rarely well.”

_ Crud, there goes idea number one _ Marinette thought to herself. “No, that would be just a little depressing and this show should be as fun as we can make it.” She smiled as she looked over her class. “We’ve gotten this far and it’s only Wednesday. A few more days means more time to come up with something more original, more Paris. More...Francois Dupont!” The class applauded again and the designer smiled, feeling her confidence return. “We deal with Hawkmoth on a daily basis. We can do this too.”

*****

Meanwhile, Mlle. Bustier’s class was counting their blessings because their assignment was going to be incredibly easy.

“We don’t even have to plan who does what,” Rose was telling Juleka. “She’s done it all for us!”

Max pushed up his glasses. “Yes. Marinette completely bypasses the ‘messy artist’ stereotype and is a model of efficiency.” He remembered the second time he was akumatized and flushed when he recalled he’d blamed her for things out of her control. “Although she does have an unfortunate tendency to take on too much at once.”

“Relax, it’s Marinette,” Kim spoke confidently about his oldest friend. “She can do anything with enough time and planning.”

“Not to mention she’s got her whole new class to help her,” Alix supported her favorite rival. “Plus, did you see that Vivienne girl?” She pretended to shudder. “She’s so efficient she’s scary. I ought to introduce her to my brother in a few years.”

“Good old Marinette,” Adrien smiled fondly. “She’s still looking out for us, even from a different class. Still our Everyday Ladybug.”

“A comedy! Starring me!” Mylene was sitting next to Ivan temporarily, seeking the comforting presence of her gentle boyfriend. She went starry-eyed as she thought about it. “Imagine! The lead role in an original production! Me!” She nuzzled her sweetheart’s side. “Dad will be so proud!”

Ivan put his arm around her and imagined the look of pride on M. Harprele’s face as he watched his daughter on stage. “You’re going to be amazing, Mylene. I know it.” He told her with a gentle smile.

Mylene giggled and hugged him. “With support like yours, how could I not?”

Juleka looked over at the happy pair and surreptitiously took a picture. “Hashtag: relationship goals,” she whispered to Rose, who sighed happily.

“I know!” cooed the petite blonde and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek.

Everyone was so happy and excited with their assigned roles, so grateful to Marinette for her foresight. She knew what everyone would like, their strengths and organized everything perfectly. The only person who felt slighted was Lila.

Marinette had sidelined her from the spotlight and into a  _ supporting _ role, of all things. Dammit, she modeled for  _ Gabriel Agreste _ while Marinette made friendship bracelets in her room! Ugh. Lila was the one with the looks and star quality to play the lead, not that dumpy little Mylene, even if her dad was a teacher and a well-respected mime. 

It was all Marinette’s fault. The class missed her and probably loved her even more now that they had to share her attention with another class. Now they’d been handed a dream assignment by Marinette where they barely had to lift a finger. She was losing all of her little admirers and it was that goody-goody, “can do know wrong” girl’s fault. Time to rein them back in.

“Um, Mlle. Bustier?” Lila raised her hand politely and waited until she’d receive a nod from Bustier. She smiled innocently, not noticing the way Adrien’s eyes narrowed or his suspicious expression. “Far be it for me to think we’re being sabotaged, but I just noticed Marinette neglected us to give us a subject or theme for the play. I guess it’s up to us to come up with something spectacular, right?” 

She tried to make herself sound uncertain and pitiable but Alya was quick to rally to her best friend’s defense. Again. “Aw, c’mon, girl. Marinette just wanted us to come up with that stuff on our own so the play could be our thing and not hers.”

“Alya’s right,” Adrien’s smile was sweet but entirely false. “Marinette would never think like that. She’d want to give everyone a fair chance to do well. Besides, I’m sure she trusts us enough to do something that simple by ourselves.”

Lila wanted to growl when everyone agreed with Adrien, heads nodding and murmurs of agreement all around her. She had to calm down before she attracted an akuma and looked bad in front of her classmates.

Nino inadvertently saved her. “Yo, it should be something important. Not necessarily to the world but to Paris. Something personal that the audience could relate to.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, maybe this play doesn’t have to be straight up comedy. It could be satire too.” “I’m sure Voltaire would approve.” Bustier smiled in endorsement and he continued. “You know, there’s only two men I hate in this world ; Gabriel Agreste and Hawk Moth.” Adrien made a feeble attempt to defend his father but Nino didn’t seem to hear him. He snapped his fingers. “I got it! Let’s make a play about Hawk Moth!”

The whole class stared at Nino in confusion or hostility, no one could tell. “Uh...Nino? I don’t think a play about Hawk Moth is going to go over well. Especially not in this class. Nearly everyone here has been or had a family member akumatized,” Adrien pointed out.

“Some have had both,” Alya reminded her classmates, thinking of Anansi. She loved her big sister but the woman could be scary.

“Preach,” agreed Alix.

“But that’s what makes it so perfect, dude,” Nino was quick to reassure his best friend. “Everyone hates Hawk Moth, so everyone will love seeing him look stupid onstage.” The class listened and waited for him to continue. “The premise could be something like…’The Very Secret Diary of Hawk Moth: Do Not Steal.’ It would be all about how he pretends to be this big bad evil guy but he’s really insecure and cries like a baby when Ladybug and Chat Noir beat him. Wouldn’t it be awesome to make him look so bad and so funny that the next time he sends one of his butterflies after him everyone’s laughing at him so hard they can’t get akumatized?”

The classroom was dead silent for about ten seconds until the teens started yelling out their own ideas.

“He’s sexually attracted to butterflies!” Kim guffawed.

“Hawk Moth has Mommy Issues!” Rose offered.

“Women won’t date him because moths have eaten his clothes,” Nathaniel was laughing so hard he could barely make the suggestion.

“So he writes this diary because he feels the world doesn’t understand him. He’s so unloved and misunderstood.” Sabrina surprised everyone by speaking up without being prompted by Chloe. “He won’t be the terror of Paris any more, he'll be the laughingstock of Paris!”

“That’s...pretty good,” Chloe reluctantly told her only friend. “He deserves to look bad after everything he’s put us through. Especially all the times I’ve had to redo my hair because of an akuma.”

“An akuma probably caused by you,” Alix muttered to herself.

“Did you say something, Kubdel?” Chloe turned in her seat and glared at the pink-haired girl.

“Why, yes. I said-”

“I think we have enough ideas to get started,” Mlle. Bustier interrupted before things could get violent, or at the very least, loud. “Don’t you think so, Rose?”

“Yes, Mlle. Bustier,” Rose answered, dutifully wrote down everyone’s suggestions and added a few of her own. Juleka even contributed a few of her own, whispering to Rose. Judging by the giggles coming from the two girls they were probably a bit risque.

“Well, then!” Bustier clasped her hands together and beamed at her students. She was glad her original faith in Marinette hadn’t been as misplaced as she thought. Perhaps the class change was beneficial to the girl. “Rose, I’d like you to try and have the play written in two weeks so we can start rehearsals and begin designing sets by the end of the month.”

The bell sounded and the class rose to their feet. “We’ll discuss this more tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day!”

*****

“This is a disaster!” Marinette complained to her kwami that night. She had been so swept up in her ideas and Vivienne’s flawless organization skills she didn’t think about how the fashion show needed a theme to pull it all together. She’d seen enough Gabriel fashion shows on tv to know they always had a central theme so the designs were a cohesive unit. Of course, those themes were usually named after the four seasons these days but they still counted as themes.

“Relax, Marinette,” the tiny Goddess spoke up after watching her Chosen pace, rant, and cry for nearly two hours between brainstorming ideas. “You have two months to decide. I think you should take a break.”

“But-” the noirette tried to argue.

“But nothing,” Tikki’s voice was kind but firm. “You only learned what your assignment would be today. There’s a full two months before the deadline and we both know you’ve done amazing things with only a fraction of the time.”

Marinette knew she should let her kwami reassure her. Tikki only wanted what was best for her and not just because she was Ladybug. She tried to smile but still felt all of her anxieties bubbling just under the surface. She sighed and tried to control her breathing like Master Fu had taught her.

The breathing exercises didn't help out when she was alone. Marinette found herself slipping back into her old habits: catastrophizing and freaking out.

“Tikki, I...I really want my new class to like me. I want Mme. Mendeleiev to like me too. I mean, right now she likes me because she thinks I’ve been Multimouse all this time and keeping my secret is helping Paris. But what if she finds out me being Multimouse was just a one-time deal? Would she still be on my side? What if I can’t come up with a good theme by Saturday? No one will know what to buy, the project will be a disaster and it’ll be all my fault!”

Marinette realized her voice was getting loud and quieted down before her parents heard her and came up to check on her. She whispered, “I just started making friends. If Mme. Mendeleiev kicks me out like Mlle. Bustier, I’ll have to start all over again in a different class. I don’t want that. I  _ like _ this class.” She started to tear up despite her best efforts.

“Oh, my baby bug,” Tikki flew onto Marinette’s and held one of her fingers with her tiny nubs. “You’re acting like everyone is going to put all the work on you like your old class used to. That isn’t going to happen this time. Your new class is so supportive of you! They even divided up all the work so that you and everyone else wouldn’t be overwhelmed. I’m sure if you talked to them about having trouble they’d be glad to help you come up with a good theme.

Marinette wiped her eyes and looked at the tiny Goddess hopefully. “You think so?”

Tikki’s large blue eyes glowed with faith and affection in her Chosen. “I  _ know _ so.”

“Oh, Tikki!” The girl hugged her kwami. “I’m so glad I can always count on you!”

Suddenly the kwami became a red blur and hid in the collar of her Chosen’s blazer. “I don’t think I’m the only one you can always count on.”

“What?” Marinette asked before she heard a light tapping on her skylight and looked up to see the grinning face of Chat Noir.

*****

“Aw, does the kitten miss being in class with his widdle pwincess?” Plagg teased his Chosen.

Adrien huffed and rolled his eyes. “She’s one of my best friends and someone I can always count on, Plagg. Of course I miss her.” He thought about the look on the designer’s face when she learned about the project that the class...no,  _ Lila _ ...had come up with, specifically for her.

The model leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “She looked really pale and wide-eyed, Plagg. At first I thought she was just that excited but now that I think about it, maybe she was having an anxiety attack or something.”

“You could always call her and check on her,” Plagg suggested. “If you don’t have her number, I’m sure you could get it from Alya.”

The boy perked up then deflated. “But Marinette always seems so mixed up when I talk to her. I think I make her nervous for some reason.”

“Can’t imagine why,” the kwami snickered but his human didn’t seem to hear him.

Adrien shot to his feet as an idea came to him. “But she never has any trouble talking to Chat Noir!” He remembers the time they stood on her balcony and talked about their mutual heartbreak. “I bet she wouldn’t mind telling Chat her problems.”

Plagg allowed himself to feel a smidgen of affection for the boy. A bit dense when it came to romance but kind, even to those who didn’t deserve it. “Well, then...you know what to say.”

“Plagg? Claws out!”

*****

“Chat Noir?” Marinette blinked owlishly up at her visitor after opening the skylight.

“The one and only,” Chat Noir hopped down into her room and looked around. There were a few less pictures of his modeling poses and more casual shots, including one with her new classmates and an adorable selfie with Kagami.

She smiled at him and felt herself relax. Sure, he was goofy but she trusted him to be there when she needed him. And here he was, although not in his usual capacity.

“What are you doing here?”

He stretched and hoped she was enjoying the view of his trim physique. “I was bored, so I was doing a solo patrol when I got hungry. He gave her truly pathetic kitten eyes. “Haven’t you a crust of bread to feed a poor, starving hero, Princess?”

Marinette laughed at his deliberately bad acting, which was his intention. “I think we have some leftover quiche. I’ll be right back.”

The feline hero sat on the pink chaise, remembering the time he’d come over to practice for the gaming tournament and the time he and Ladybug had fought Troublemaker. This room was a tenth the size of his own but he loved it here. It was warm, cozy and homey, like he’d always imagined a normal teen’s room was. He could smell bread from the bakery downstairs and if he strained his ears he was sure he’d hear the sounds of a loving family. He just wanted to roll in the contentment he felt here like catnip. 

There were personal touches here and there that were uniquely Marinette, like her sketchbooks and sewing machine. He even saw her homemade dolls peeking from out of a box and he toyed with them while he waited for her to return.

“You like salmon, right?”

Marinette had come back with a tray for him. He guiltily hid the dolls behind his back. 

“What cat doesn’t?” He sniffed the air. The plate she’d made for him smelled better than anything his personal chef ever made.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him and held out her hand. He reached behind his back and gave her back the dolls he’d been playing with. She was a lot more perceptive than he gave her credit.

She sat beside him on the chaise while he ate and she told him all about her recent problems; her teacher wanting to get rid of her because of a lying classmate, the complicit principal and the new class who were doing their best to make her feel welcome.

“And we just found out we have to do this two-month long group project. It counts for twenty percent of our grade for the year and we didn’t even get to choose our own project! A randomly chosen class got to choose it for us and we for them. And guess who we got paired with? My old class!”

“Quite the plot twist,” Chat Noir agreed as he finished off the quiche.

“I know!” Marinette threw her hands up in exasperation. “Well, we chose a play for them and we assigned roles based on what I knew they’d be good at. A good role for everyone, even...a few people I don’t particularly like.” She flushed with embarrassment and Chat Noir motioned for her to continue.

“Well, the assignment they picked for me and my new class...well, just me...is a fashion show.” Marinette’s hands twisted in her lap. “Me, my own fashion show! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a dream come true, but I didn’t think I’d be planning one before I even got into  _ lycee _ ! And in two months? Impossible for a fifteen year old. Gabriel Agreste could do it, but he has the staff and experience.”

Chat’s gut twisted. He was right to be worried. “So...what are you going to do?”

She surprised him by suddenly coming to life. “Have you ever heard of upcycling?” Before he could answer she continued. “It’s where you take an existing garment and change it; make it longer, shorter...change pants into shorts. Make a dress a cute skirt. Not only would doing that make it possible for us to do a fashion show in that amount of time, it’s also just as creative as doing clothes from scratch and is good for the environment! Plus I can teach some of my other classmates some basic stitching so they can makeover their own clothes at home!”

Chat Noir couldn't help but smile at his good friend’s enthusiasm. Her optimism and determination reminded him so much of Ladybug it made him want to salute the young designer and swear to follow her anywhere.

Suddenly her face fell and she slumped back on the chaise with her head on Chat’s shoulders. “But before I can make the clothes, I need to come up with a theme to tie everything together.”

The boy gave into the urge to pat her shoulder. “You’ll come up with something amazing, Marinette. After all, you’ve managed to impress both Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeois, so this will be no problem. Well, I better get going. You’re going to need your rest if you’re going to come up with something brilliant.” He tried to stand but his tail got snagged on the chaise and he was yanked backwards. To his surprise, Marinette caught him before he fell.

Time slowed as he looked up into his friend’s face and she blinked, surprised at herself. He can’t believe he’d never noticed how blue the noirette’s eyes were or that she had very fast reflexes...even if she lacked coordination.

The silence was starting to become tense and he decided to break with a joke. He batted his eyes at Marinette and clasped his hands together. “My hero!” he tittered in a high falsetto.

“Hero?” she echoed and her eyes widened. She stood and steadied him so he was upright then went over to the box that held the dolls she’d made. He noticed she’d added Rena, Ryuko, Carapace and Viperion to her collection. “Heroes! Heroes, Chat!”

She smiled and waited for him to catch on. He didn’t and shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Do you want the Heroes of Paris to model in your show?”

The noirette seemed a little disappointed but elaborated. “Good idea, but I don’t think they have time for that kind of thing.” She held up the dolls and made them dance. “But a hero-themed fashion show would be perfect! It’s so uniquely Parisian in general but Francois Dupont in particular! Ladybug and Chat Noir have saved nearly everyone in my old class from Hawk Moth and Jean, Ondine, Kagami and Aurore in my new one.”

Chat Noir couldn’t help but get caught up in her enthusiasm. “Brilliant! Only you could have come up with something so amazing, Marinette.”

She put her dolls away and gave him a huge hug. “You’re just the sweetest kitty in all of Paris,” she whispered in his ear and then kissed him on both cheeks. “I’d still be struggling to come up with an idea if you hadn’t inspired me. Thank you.”

Chat Noir was still in shock from the kisses but still managed to give her a smile. Not one of his goofy grins or model smile but the real one he saved only for those closest to him. “It was the least I could do after such a delicious meal. But I should be going now and getting home.” He gave her his usual two-fingered salute before disappearing up the skylight. “Sweet dreams, Princess. May you dream of fabulous designs.”

Marinette just laughed to herself as she closed and locked the skylight. “My sweet, silly kitty.”

“Rather smart kitty,” Tikki zipped out of her hiding spot and nuzzled her Chosen’s cheek. “Now you have one less thing to worry about.”

“Yep, but only one,” the designer agreed and began to brainstorm the color and fabric she wanted to look for at the flea market.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. What, like it's hard?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette tells her class her idea, gains a bunch of admirers and takes a class field trip to the flea market.

**Chapter 7 “What, like it’s hard?”**

Thursday dawned clear and bright. For once Marinette awoke with the dawn, and was able to see the sky shift from it’s morning twilight and end up clear and blue. There had been no akuma the night before and Marinette felt more rested than she had since Lila came back. Well rested and excited at the prospect it seemed that energy had super charged the girl, almost like when she was transformed as Ladybug. She actually was awake and dressed before her alarm went off and gathered the notes she’d made last night.

“You think the class will like this idea?” Marinette once again asked Tikki’s opinion.

Last night talking with Chat the idea seemed exciting, wonderful even. It was perfect, a great way to get a good grade. A theme that would equally hype up and impress her class. Environmentally conscious in a fun way that everyone could do, impressing Mme. Mendeleiev. Maybe she could ask Viv if they could create a pamphlet to give out at the show. It would help get their message across on their statement being environmentally conscious and maybe even help promote her website and designs. Yet the more she thought of it, the more doubt raised its ugly head and nagged at her. Sure, the theme was unique to Paris in a way honoring both the heroes and the environment. But what if they didn’t get it? Or worse, disliked it?

The little Goddess was quick to reassure her Chosen. “They’re going to love it, Marinette!” she squeaked. She zipped around the room and tapped on Marinette’s notes. “Plus, you’ve included fabric and colors to look for, which will make the flea market trip easier. Everything else will fall into place once we’ve located some good clothing pieces to start with. Then it’s as simple as planning each outfit and adding accessories. And _voila_! The hard part is done!”

“But-”

Uncertain, Marinette worried her lips while she triple checked her notes since waking up. She wasn’t 100% confident on other’s acceptance of the theme. Her wonderful logical, organized side of her brain pointed out that it was a good foundation. That they needed to purchase material before they could really jump in and work on a product. Anxiety, the lying jerkface, kept whispering how childish and silly the idea was. How everyone would think her childish and silly and her new class would laugh at her. Her heart, poor thing, advised her not to get her hopes up. Not after what happened in Bustier’s class, not after seeing her friends, whom many she shared a long history with, had found it so easy to turn their backs on her. If years of friendships disintegrated so easily, what hope should she have towards her new class?

After being with the designer for over a year, the kwami could sense where the young woman’s thoughts were heading. She got right in the girl’s face and booped her on the nose. “No. Stop thinking like that. Your idea is sound, you have a good starting point, and Mme. Mendeleiev’s class will love it as much as I do. If they don’t,” she said before the noirette could interrupt, “well, I can’t see why they wouldn’t but if they don’t, they can help you come up with a theme everyone can be happy with.”

Marinette smiled, not feeling completely reassured but still touched that Tikki had such faith in her. “Thank you, Tikki,” her stomach growled, ruining the tender moment between kwami and holder.

The kwami laughed, then her own stomach growled twice as loud. “No use worrying about something that not only hasn’t happened yet but probably won’t. It’s time for breakfast!”

Her Chosen laughed and agreed, stuffing her notes and ideas into her bag.Nervous and excited she opened the trap door ready to start her day and move on to show the class her ideas. 

*****

Given the time of day Marinette’s father was already elbow deep in flour and powdered sugar. Being a boulangerie patisserie, the Dupain-Chengs had to bake their own bread in the bakery along with their assortments of pastries. That had Tom Dupain be an early riser beginning various doughs that needed proving and work before baking. She wouldn’t see him at the moment, unless she stopped in the bakery. Her mother however looked quite surprised seeing Marinette bouncing down the stairs. 

“I was just about to call you,” Sabine told her daughter.

The girl laughed and said, “I’m glad I could save you the trip.” She hugged her mother and began fixing a plate for herself, selecting some yogurt, orange slices, and part of a baguette.

Sabine couldn’t help but smile, infected by her little girl’s joy. Marinette seemed bright and optimistic as she enjoyed her breakfast, the girl even hummed a tune. The strangeness had Sabine pause in thought. Why was it strange? How long had it been since her daughter had smiled so freely?

She was certain it’d only been a few days but as she cast her mind back over the past weeks and months, she couldn’t remember. Nothing came to mind. Clearly it was before that shameless liar had joined her class. Sabine felt ashamed; partly for being unable to remember how long it had been since she’d seen her daughter so happy. Partly for believing a word that Italian girl had said. Lying disease indeed! Had Francois Dupont never heard of checking medical records?

At first she hoped her child was in such a good mood because she’d finally managed to confess her feelings for that nice Agreste boy. But now as she thought about it, Marinette hadn’t really gushed about him in weeks. She’d mentioned him in passing but she’d also mentioned Juleka having an older brother named Luka and he played guitar in her classmates’ band Kitty Section. Sabine had glimpsed him on television and although he was wearing a mask, he had kind eyes.

Well, her daughter was young and love was fickle so it could be awhile until she met the right one for her. Still, Adrien had only himself to blame if he lost Marinette to another boy.

The only alternative Sabine could think of was that her daughter was happier being moved to another class. Now she wouldn’t have to deal with bullies, liars, or an ineffectual teacher who clearly was too weak to punish the guilty and blamed the victim. She couldn’t believe it took her daughter’s near-expulsion for her and Tom to notice their daughter’s school problems were _that_ bad.

How could they not have noticed their only child was struggling? Yes, she knew of the problems with Chloe but she had been convinced Marinette had just been exaggerating until recently. And after Ladybug came to Paris the woman was sure her daughter was so inspired by the heroine’s example she learned to stand up for herself. She had even been elected class representative.

Then that Lila girl had come along Marinette was depressed again, feeling like none of her classmates believed her. Well, she’d raised that girl and knew her child was neither a liar nor a thief. She knew her daughter hid things from her but she also knew she’d done the same thing as a teenager. Mood swings and body changes seemed to translate into a passionate longing for privacy. Sabine wondered if her little girl doubted her parents as well.

What had she done so wrong to make her child doubt she could be trusted? Perhaps she should have gone to the school years ago and demanded her daughter be separated from Chloe Bourgeois. She should have been sure her baby always felt like she could talk to her parents when she had a problem. But no, it hadn’t even occurred to her to talk to her daughter’s teacher or the parents of her friends. Well, that was about to change. She would take a more active part in her child’s life at school and M. Damocles had better tread very carefully from now on. She thought Nadja might enjoy an expose on corruption in schools.

“You seem very cheerful this morning, dear,” was all she said out loud.

“Thanks!” The girl was nearly done with her breakfast while her mother had stood there, lost in thought. Well, the first thing she needed to do was improve her observation skills.

“So...how do you like your new class? Are you making lots of friends?” Sabine took the seat across from her daughter and poured them both some tea.

Marinette’s eyes lit up. “Yes! My new classmates are so cool! There’s Bellamy, who’s like a mom and he knits. Vivienne, who lives for gymnastics and organization. Jean, he likes magic tricks and fencing. Oh! Speaking of fencing, I should have Kagami over sometime. She’s from Japan and she fences with...Adrien…”

Sabine could tell her daughter’s mood was about to crash so she pretended not to notice the little pause. “Well, if they’re good enough to be friends with my daughter, that’s a good start. You should bring some of your new classmates over some time so your father and I can meet them.”

The noirette bubbled with enthusiasm. “I should! Soon, because I need to get everyone’s measurements. We’re doing a fashion show for a group project. We have the next two months off of school work to just focus on the project! I’ve decided I’m going to create new designs from old clothes and guess what? The show will have a superhero theme to honor the heroes of Paris!”

Sabine clapped her hands and beamed with approval at her daughter. “What a brilliant idea! Everyone will love it!” Really, with heroes now living in Paris and the current superhero obsession in the media how could they not? “I’m very proud of you, Marinette!”

Marinette smiled and stood up. “Thanks, Mom! I hope everyone else thinks so too.” She gave her mother a kiss on the forehead and grabbed her bag. “I’d better go! See you at lunch! Give Dad my love!”

She was almost out the door when her mother’s voice stopped her. “Marinette?”

She turned. “Yes, Mom?”

Sabine wrung her hands. “You know...if you need to talk, you can always come to me or your father.” She slowly got to her feet and approached her little girl. Giving her taller daughter a hug, she said, “I never want you to feel like you can’t talk to me, no matter how personal or embarrassing the problem is. I hope you know your father and I are always on your side. We believe you and we believe _in_ you. Remember that, sweetie.”

“I know that, Mom,” Marinette pulled away and looked down but not before her mother could see she was embarrassed and touched. “I’m sorry. Some things I can’t...I mean...I couldn’t discuss with anyone...but school...I hate to bother you. You and Dad are so busy.”

“Never too busy for you, my precious girl.” She gave her daughter a final good-bye kiss. “You should probably go before you’re late.”

“Okay!” Marinette opened the door and waved. “See you at lunch!”

The door closed behind her and the Chinese woman began to gather up the remains of her daughter’s breakfast. She was lucky to have such a good daughter and hoped she felt the same about her mother .

Perhaps it would be a good idea to invite Mme. Mendeleiev over sometime. She wondered if the science teacher liked tea.

*****

Adrien arrived a few minutes earlier to class than usual and loitered on the front steps. He was hoping to see Marinette before she ran off to her new class. She looked so pale and scared yesterday and he wanted to see for himself that she was all right.

He had the answer two minutes later when his former classmate sprinted up the steps in his direction. He smiled at her when she came to a stop in front of him. “Hey, Marinette!”

“Hey...Adrien...good to see you.” He was both pleased and surprised to see a smile on her face and happy gleam in her eye. It was as if her anxiety yesterday never happened. She was even talking to him! With full sentences! He was even more convinced going to see her as Chat Noir was the right thing to do. 

“You’re very cheerful this morning,” he couldn’t help but grin back. “Did something good happen?”

“Hmmm...you might say that,” her smile turned a bit sly and mysterious. “I was stuck on finding a theme for the fashion show assignment you guys gave me.”

He gave her an apologetic grimace. “Sorry about that by the way. I tried to talk them out of it, but they were just so sure you’d love it.”

Marinette looked at him and then lowered her voice. “Lila?”

Adrien sighed. “Lila. I thought she’d leave you alone once you left the class but everyone misses you and she can’t stand the loss of attention.”

She shocked him by giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “It’s okay. My new class rep is great at organization and she came up with a plan that works for everyone.” The designer looked happy but secretive. “Plus, I lucked out. A friend stopped by and gave me some great advice and encouragement when I needed it. Then he helped inspire my theme for the fashion show.”

“Oh? ‘He’, huh?” the model tried to look innocently curious. “Interesting. So, who’s the friend and what’s the theme?”

The designer shook her head but smiled. “Ah ah ah! I can’t tell you about my theme before I tell my classmates! That wouldn’t be fair. Besides, I couldn’t tell you my friend’s name without his permission.” She doubted Chat Noir would mind if she told Adrien about their friendship, but she wanted to keep some things to herself. “All I can tell you is he’s a great guy and I’m glad we’re friends.”

Adrien felt warm all over, grateful someone saw him as something besides Ladybug’s goofy sidekick. “I’m sure he’s glad to have you as a friend too. Good luck! I’m sure your theme idea is awesome and your class will love it.”

“Aw!” She shocked him by giving him a hug and quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Adrien. I hope you’re right. Bye!”

She left him standing there and he could swear he heard Nino mutter, “Yo, I would’ve liked a hug.”

*****

“Okay!” Marinette complied and engulfed both the DJ and her BFF in a warm hug. She flicked the bill of Nino’s cap. “Anytime you want or need a hug, my dude, all you have to do is ask.” The designer grinned and looked over at her best friend. “That goes double for you, Alya.”

The blogger pulled herself away and looked the smaller girl up and down. “On time, handing out free hugs _and_ holding a conversation with our resident sunshine? Who exactly are you and what have you done with my best girl?”

The noirette just giggled. “Well, that’s just what happens when you’re no longer in a class with someone who thinks it’s her life’s work to make your life miserable,” she said, knowing Alya would assume she was talking about Chloe. She was, but only partly. “Plus, I’m excited about this fashion show! It’s a good chance to show people what I can do! Thanks for suggesting it, Alya.”

Alya was about to say “you’re welcome” but Nino spoke over top of her and said, “Save some of your thanks for Lila, dudette. It was her idea. She just thought Alya should have the honor of telling you, being the new class rep and all.”

Marinette paled and went stiff at the mention of the Italian girl’s name. Alya was too busy glaring at her boyfriend to notice but Nino did.

_Huh. That’s interesting_ , he thought to himself. He decided to file that information away for later. He looked up and saw Adrien’s eyes narrow at Marinette’s response. The DJ blinked and the model’s angry face was gone, replaced with his usual smile. He waved at Nino who waved back, unsure if he imagined his best friend’s reaction. _Something_ was up, and Nino might not be a super reporter like his girlfriend, but he would figure out _what_.

“Oh, wow. I...wasn’t expecting that. How...nice!” Marinette gave Alya her best smile. The journalist smiled back and put an arm around her BFF and her boyfriend. Nino jumped; he’d be willing to bet his boo hadn’t just pinched Marinette like she had him.

“So...bestie of mine,” Alya drawled, locking arms with Marinette, guiding the trio towards the locker room. “Any hints about what kind of clothes you’re going to be designing? Who will be your models? What will be your theme?”

The ombre haired girl stuck her phone under the noirette’s chin like a microphone. Marinette laughed and pushed it away. Wagging one finger with a smirk at the taller girl in mock reprimand.

“No comment, no comment and no comment,” she laughed at the blogger’s sad kitten face. “You’ll find out when the rest of the school does. But,” her smile was wide and mischievous. “I may be able to pull some strings and get you an interview with the amazing designer after the show.”

Alya winked and smirked. “I’ll hold you to that, you know.” She squeezed the bluenette’s shoulder as someone caught her eye. “Hey, Lila!” She waved to get the other girl’s attention, who saw them and looked like she’d rather be anywhere else right at the moment.

“Hi, everyone!” Lila waved and looked cheerful as the trio walked up to her, Adrien trailing silently behind them. She gave him a friendly grin and was ignored. Jerk.

“Sorry, girl,” Alya apologized, “ _Nino_ let it slip that it was your idea for Marinette to do a fashion show for her group project.”

“My class’ project, you mean,” Marinette corrected.

“Huh? Oh yeah, of course,” Alya dismissed Mendeleiev’s class without even thinking about it. It was probably harmless but it had Marinette pause to consider, they’ve also worked on the project already, and the project was _theirs_ ; plural. Not just hers. 

Lila looked at Marinette with wide pleading eyes. “I’m sorry. I was sure you’d rather hear an idea come from Alya than from me. I just thought if you knew I’d thought of it you wouldn’t want to do it. I mean,” she bit her lip and tried to play the victim, “our last conversation didn’t go exactly well.”

Marinette just smiled, the epitome of saintly patience. “Oh, I wouldn’t think like that, Lila. I’d never dismiss a good idea, no matter who thought of it. A fashion show will be a lot of fun.”

“Well, speaking as a model, they’re also a lot of hard work, requiring months of preparation and organization. I mean, I’m sure Adrien can tell you everything involved in one of his dad’s shows,” Lila finished, looking at Adrien.

“As an aspiring designer, Marinette already knows that. She attended one of my father’s shows while you were away, she’s also experienced with using models,” Adrien spoke up in support of Marinette. She gave him a grateful smile and noticed Lila’s disgruntled expression out of the corner of his eye.

“Well, at least you won’t be doing _all_ the work yourself,” Lila told the noirette with false cheer. Really, would it hurt Adrien to keep his mouth shut when she was trying to undermine her competition? She needed to talk to M. Agreste about shortening his leash. “I’m sure the rest of your new class won’t mind pitching in. Then all you have to do is come up with a few original designs and make the clothes in two months. You can do that easily, right?”

“Um...sure,” Marinette didn’t sound as if she’d regained all of her confidence and annoying optimism. Good.

They reached the locker room and Nino gallantly held the door open for his friends. The girls swept in and Alya pointedly ignored her boyfriend, still miffed about his “big mouth” as she would say. Adrien gave the DJ a sympathetic look and the boys followed the girls inside.

“I’m sure my girl is just waiting for inspiration to strike,” Alya reassured her best friend. She missed sitting beside her every day and vowed to try to text or Facetime the designer more often. She tried teasing the bluenette like she always had, to maintain a sense of normalcy. “If it hasn’t already.”

Marinette turned away so her bestie couldn’t see the gleam in her eyes. Alya was going to be so surprised when she saw her ideas on stage! She wondered if she could ask Nino or Adrien to film the blogger’s reaction for her.

“Like I said before, Mlle. Cesaire, no com-”

She was cut off as she opened her locker door and a cascade of letters and small wrapped boxes washed over her, one of them even hitting her in the nose. Everyone getting ready for class stopped and stared at her in confusion or amusement. Adrien couldn’t help but think of Valentine’s Day in an anime. 

The cascade stopped as soon as it started and a very dazed Marinette put her things in her locker and then stepped back in shock.

“Who would? Why? These are...for me?” she stammered.

Alya stepped forward and motioned for Nino to follow her, momentarily forgetting to be angry. The two of them gathered up the letters and boxes and tried to organize them. In various shows of handwriting one thing was crystal clear. They were all addressed to Marinette, some even had hearts on them. 

“Oh wow, Marinette!” Lila exclaimed, it took all of her willpower to keep the growl out of her voice. What the hell was this? Some stupid anime drama on Valentine’s Day? It was disgusting that it happened to Mari-brat of all people. “I had no idea you had so many secret admirers! It’s a good thing you don’t have a boyfriend, otherwise he’d be so jealous.”

“Good thing,” the confused noirette echoed and looked over at Adrien, who shrugged.

Well, really, he wasn’t surprised. Marinette was very pretty, as well as being smart and talented. He wondered why this didn’t happen to her more often. Maybe people just found out she was single when she changed classes. He’d heard some whispers at the fencing club; and other kids outside of his classmates didn’t talk to him very much. So he didn’t know what the rest of the school thought of him. The model hoped he didn’t come off as a snob.

They were so preoccupied they didn’t hear the door open and Aurore and Bellamy stepped in. 

“Well, well look what we have here Aurore! This is going into the class’s scrapbook. My newest baby girl is so popular!” Bellamy grinned at Marinette like a proud mother hen while Aurore smirked at the look of utter rage that briefly flitted across Lila’s face. Served the brat right. 

“Here,” Bellamy handed Marinette a knitted pink bag. “To hold all your presents!”

The bag even had a flower pattern woven in, not unlike the one she worked into her everyday clothing. “Did you know about this?”

“You could say that,” Aurore turned her gaze away from Lila, who had finally managed to choke back her ire. “We decided to write you little notes of encouragement. I’m not sure about the presents…”

“Jean _might_ have let it slip to the fencing club you weren’t dating anyone,” Bellamy winked at Marinette, then wagged his eyebrows at her while he pulled out a small polaroid. “Apparently some of them have been wanting to ask you out all year. Now, Aurore, help her hold the gifts up! Say miraculous!”

“Miraculous!” Marinette and Aurore chimed in after Aurore scrambled to get gifts out of Nino and Alya hands, then posed beside Marinette. Both girls gave wide smiles, Aurore’s a touch too teasing, Marinette’s flushed pink and adorable. The flash went off and they saw how Bellamy snatched the photo from the polaroid before putting the camera away in his own bag. 

Marinette blushed. “Well, I appreciate the encouragement, if not the sudden fanclub.” She put the last letter in the bag. “Anyway, the bell is about to ring. We should get to class.”

“Yeah. Mme. Mendeleiev is great, but she’s not a fan of tardiness,” Aurore and Bellamy neatly swept their newest friend away to class before her friends could protest. “We need to go.”

“See you!” Marinette called over her shoulder.

As soon as they were out of listening range Marinette dropped her voice and addressed her new classmates. “If it’s okay with Vivienne, I’d like to make a little presentation about our theme as soon as everyone’s ready.”

“I don’t think she’ll mind,” Bellamy reassured her, “she only minds interruptions if someone else has already started speaking; especially when the other person cuts people off. It’s a pet peeve of hers.” He looked into his new friend’s/chick face. “You thought of a theme, didn’t you?”

The designer smirked. “You could say that. I want the class’ input but I think everyone will like it.

  
  


*****

Once everyone had taken their seats Marinette stood in the front of the class. Being in front of everyone’s expectant eyes had her take a steading breath. She felt nervous and a bit unsure; all her doubts about her new friends not liking her idea came rushing back. She risked a glance back at her teacher, who gave her an encouraging nod. She looked over her classmates. At her workstation Kagami gave her a smile and pointed at the “encouragement bag” as Bellamy had dubbed it. Well, if her entire class believed in her enough to write letters of support, she’d do her best and if they didn’t like it, she could come up with something different. The noirette took several deep breaths and began to speak. 

“So...um...yesterday I didn’t have a theme for a fashion show to share with you. Last night I was visited by...inspiration, I guess you might say and came up with what I think will be the perfect theme for Paris in general and Francois Dupont in particular.” The class looked on in anticipation and she grinned, remembering how excited she was last night when Chat Noir helped her come up with the idea. “The heroes of Paris!”

“You mean like Ladybug and Chat Noir fashions?” Aurore interrupted, excitedly getting up from her seat, and then covered her mouth when she realized Vivienne was glaring at her sitting back down blushing, mortified. “Whoops.”

Marinette didn’t seem offended. “Well…” she hedged, “I thought of them too, originally, but then I thought ‘Ladybug and Chat Noir are wonderful heroes. But they're not the only heroes we've had,’ and I think making the theme be the temporary heroes is new and innovative."

She opened up her sketchbook and held it out for everyone to see. With Mme. Mendeleiev’s permission they gathered around and looked over the sketches she’d drawn of Ryuko, Viperion, and the others she’d drawn last night.

Kagami might have blushed, flattered her new friend had drawn her one-time alter-ego. “They all look strong and have a distinctive look. Very memorable.”

Marinette smiled at the Japanese girl, noticing how pleased she looked that Ryuko was included. She wondered what Alya or Nino would think when they saw her designs incorporating their heroic personas. She could almost hear Chloe talk about how appropriate her inclusion was and imagine Max and Kim high-fiving each other. It was a tribute and her way to show her gratitude for their help, even if she could never tell them as herself. They would know they were appreciated and that was the most important thing.

The class oohed and aahed as she flipped over to another page. “I’ve written down some suggestions for pieces we should look for at the flea market on Saturday. Included are a few fabric swatches to give you color ideas as well. Don’t worry if what you find isn’t a perfect match as long as it’s of good quality material and not too stained. But no matter how cute something is, don’t buy it if it stinks.” She wrinkled her nose. “Sometimes the only way to get a bad smell out of clothing is to dry clean it and I’d rather not take money out of the budget for that.” Maison nodded approvingly.

Aurore sighed as she looked over the hero choices. “No offense to you, Marinette, but full offense to Chloe; why include Queen Bee? Chloe was an awful hero.”

The designer hedged. “Chloe...is selfish and spiteful, but deep down, she actually has a heart and is capable of caring about people. Besides,” she could see none of her classmates believed her, “Queen Bee has a great look. The black and yellow stripes are distinctive and would look amazing on the right person.” She winked at the weather girl, who laughed.

Pleased that her class was responding positively to her idea she continued. “We should probably break up into groups of two or three people, each with a set about to spend. That’ll help everyone keep to a budget. Remember to haggle. The vendors expect it and some will be offended if you don’t even try. Quality over quantity and if we find something that’s a good base we can build on top of it. We can always find notions like ribbons and embellishments later. Oh! Look for jewelry too.”

Mireille raised her hand. “For accessories? I have a collection I can bring.”

Marinette nodded. “That’s great you can bring them Mireille. We would still want to find some jewelry, beads or paste gems can get sewn onto an outfit making it seem more luxurious. It’s a cheap way to make our designs stand out.”

“Speaking of designs..” Bellamy wanted to know, “any ideas so far?” He hoped no one thought he was trying to dampen their spirits but it was his nature to be practical.

The noirette thought about it. “I’d rather know for sure what pieces I have to work with first. I have a few preliminary ideas. For instance, I’d love to make a man’s casual suit for summer.”

“Oooh!” Curtis raised his hand. “If you make that, I want to model it!”

Marinette smiled. “If I do, it’s yours.”

Mme. Mendeleiev cleared her throat to get her students’ attention. “Now that we have a theme, thanks to Marinette, we need to decide everyone’s budget and how to efficiently divide up different areas of the market. I myself am a frequent visitor and could point out a few good locations for you to try first.”

*****

Friday passed quietly and without incident (human or akuma). Saturday dawned clear and bright so Marinette put on a pair of cute pink overall shorts and a white shirt. She grabbed a few cloth shopping bags to bring her purchases home in and put a few cookies in her purse for Tikki. After she double checked that she had everything she needed. Marinette went down and prepared her own breakfast because her parents were already busy with customers. It was a quick parfait of yogurt, granola, and a few slices of fruit. The flea market happened to have some good food stands so Marinette didn’t want to get full so quickly. 

After she cleaned up she headed downstairs to the bakery. She checked the time on her phone. It was nine forty-five. Bellamy had told her he and Marc were coming over to pick her up at ten a.m. sharp. Knowing Bellamy, he was likely to be on time, if not early.

“Good morning, sweetie,” her mother told her as she bagged some pastries and handed a loaf of _pane rustica_ to a customer. “Are your new friends coming to pick you up soon?”

“Yes, Mom,” she waved to the customer, a cameraman who worked with Nadja Chamack, as he walked out the door.

The Chinese woman smiled. “I’m so glad you’re happy with your new class, dear. I know you’re the type who can make friends anywhere but…” she frowned.

Her daughter knew exactly what she meant. “But I shouldn’t have had to leave my old class because of a liar and an enabling teacher.” She gave her mother a wink. “I may miss most of my classmates but I don’t miss my teacher. In fact, I might have had a lucky break.”

Marinette kept her eyes glued over to the window waiting to see two familiar faces. Her efforts paid off when she saw familiar faces that smiled when they recognized her. Marinette waved over at the two as they got closer to the bakery.

They laughed together and the door opened, setting off the little bell above the door. “Welcome to the Dupain-Cheng Patisserie-Boulangerie!” The designer called out to her classmates.

Marc had somehow been coaxed out of his usual hoodie and was wearing a soft rainbow shirt and jean shorts, he honestly looked cute as a button. Bellamy was wearing a striped yellow oxford shirt with jeans and white high-tops. Walking into the bakery he pushed up his sunglasses almost like a headband. In his hands he balanced a small plastic container.

“Good morning, Marinette!” Marc waved shyly at her and gave her mother a sort of bow.

“Morning, Marinette!” Bellamy grinned at her. “I heard from your friend, Alya that you weren’t much of a morning person so I was all set to drag you out of bed, Miss Sleepy Head,” he passed her and held out the container to Mme. Dupain-Cheng. “It’s customary in my family to bring a homemade baked good when visiting someone’s house for the first time. I know this is the best bakery in town, but I hope you like _tarte tatin.”_ He hoped the woman wouldn’t be offended. Bringing sweets to a patisserie sounded counter productive, but he was proud of his _tarte tatin_ , it was his great grandmother’s recipe that he inherited. He thought of Marinette as his newest little chick and wanted to make a good impression. You always bring out your best for good first impressions”, his grandmother always reminded him.

“What a thoughtful tradition,” Sabine smiled in approval. Her daughter wouldn’t starve around this young man. “We don’t make _tarte tatin_ very often but it’s one of my favorites.”

The young designer made introductions. “Mom, I’d like you to meet two of my new friends and classmates. Marc Anciel,” the dark haired boy with green eyes smiled shyly. “And Bellamy Collette,” the blond boy waved happily at Sabine.

Marc and Marinette watched with amusement and trepidation as the two “Moms” sized each other up. It was almost embarrassing knowing that they were sizing each other up, and Marinette couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her. It was really sweet, and a bit over the top which had the designer feel happy about. Woman and boy gave each other a nod of approval and a smile. The noirette was sure they’d be swapping recipes and cooing over baby pictures any minute now.

Bellamy rejoined his friends. “Marc and I will be taking your daughter to meet up with the rest of the class at the flea market,” he said to Marinette’s mother. “Don’t worry, we’ll check in every hour and I packed some sunscreen and a small emergency first aid kit so she’ll be in good hands. Let me know if you’ll want me to send over any pictures we take today,” he patted the messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

Sabine beamed at him. He was just the kind of friend her daughter should have had all along, not a group of sheep dazzled by a liar. Both boys seemed lovely and polite, Marc in a brotherly fashion paired up by Marinette; while Bellamy gave the aura of a caretaker or an old soul. It made her ashamed that she’d bought into that “lying disease” nonsense for even a second. Yet she couldn’t help but feel that this was an unexpected boon that Marinette won. “I see my daughter’s in good hands.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the two boys chorused together.

The Chinese woman pressed a few euros into her protesting daughter’s hands and the trio was off in search of adventure, friendship, and bargain clothing.

*****

“Start with the bargain bins before looking at any so called high end items,” Marinette told Bellamy and Marc as they emerged from the Metro station. “It might be more of a challenge to upcycle dated clothing but it’ll be more rewarding too.”

The boys quickly learned their new companion was a veteran flea market shopper and a haggling phenomenon. They were watching a performance done by masters. The shopkeepers made a valiant effort against the young designer. Valiant being the key word. Marinette always tended to upstage, outdo, and end up victorious. Marc couldn’t help but feel that Marinette was usually a hero. Yet at this moment she was a final boss who employed the best strategies and was simply too powerful for the shopkeepers to have any leeway against her. She was a dragon trying to add to her growing hoard, if the fabric bags had anything to say about it. 

Bellamy was the trio’s coordinator, he was in the class’s group chat. They added Marinette in officially on Friday, and the chat was filled with pictures of the groups showing what they’ve found so far. With every new purchase Marinette haggled for they took a selfie showing off the article. So far it seemed to have been going pretty well. 

Viv, Maison, and Alicia had found a slightly stained white satin plus size dress, some old jodhpurs and a matching military cut coat, along with some fake pearl and real abalone necklaces. Kagami, Jean, and Zayan worked hard in getting more male clothing as both would be used as models. Curtis and Brielle seemed to focus on patterns and fabric than anything as far as style goes. They complained a bit at being bad hagglers but they were managing well enough. Aurore, Mirielle, and Ondine took accessories as their target; going from stand to stand for costume jewelry, belts, even shoes (they made a chart of everyone’s shoe size on Friday since that didn’t need exact measurements, and everyone knew their shoe sizes). 

“Mari, Marc, everyone is thinking of taking a snack break and seeing what everyone’s gotten so far,” Bellamy mentioned to the two who were going through a clearance bin. “Do you guys want to take a break too? We’re trying to decide where to meet up.”

The noirette held up an old yellow, black and white muumuu up to herself while Marc eyed an old snakeskin leisure suit. “We’ll take them both,” she told the shopkeeper. The older woman smiled in relief. She’d wanted to unload the old things for a while now and gave the girl an extra discount. It paid to stay on the good side of Sabine Cheng’s daughter.

“There’s a shawarma booth that just opened ten meters from here,” the older woman told the teens. “The couple who runs it are friends of mine. They recently immigrated here from Syria. Tell them Sherenne sent you and they’ll give you a discount.”

Marinette smiled her thanks as Bellamy told the rest of the class in the group chat where to meet.

Zuleika and Hareem Khaled hadn’t been in Paris long and were pleasantly surprised when over two dozen polite and well-behaved young people descended on their booth. They waited patiently for their chicken, vegetarian, or lamb shawarma and received extra portions when a tiny girl in pigtails mentioned Sherenne. A nice young man named Zayan asked if he could take pictures of their booth and post the pictures on his Instagram to help drum up business. The couple quickly agreed and smiled for the boy’s camera. They felt very welcome in their new home and invited the children to come back any time.

Food and drinks in hand the group wandered about until they saw a crowd near some of the more high-end vintage booths. They noticed some of the students from M. Fabron’s class and to their surprise, M. D’Agencourt’s students as well. Both groups had a similar look on their face; they looked completely done with whatever their teachers were doing. 

“Does anyone know what’s going on?”

“I spoke to one of the members of the fencing team who has M. D’Argencourt as a homeroom teacher.” Kagami had shed her school uniform in favor of a leather buttoned pinafore, military boots, and a Baby Metal t-shirt. She smiled at the look of surprise on her friends’ faces. “Both M. D’Argencourt and M. Fabron picked plays for the other’s class to do. They came here to find costume pieces since the Drama Club only has so much to go around.”

“Let me guess,” Vivienne sighed. She knew something like this would happen as soon as she saw the Drama and P.E. teachers had drawn each other. “They both assigned each other to do ‘Hamlet’.”

“You are correct,” Kagami was mildly surprised. “How did you know?”

“Hamlet and Laertes’ duel,” chorused Bellamy, Viv, and Marinette.

“One of the most famous sword fights in theatre,” Marc elaborated. “It’s practically the climax of the final act.”

“I see,” Kagami frowned. “I’m not as familiar with European theatre as I am Japanese _Noh_ or _Kabuki_ theatre but I’ll read up on it later.”

The class finished their meal and disposed of the trash before settling in to watch the show. Some of the students glanced over at them, nodded, then shrugged as if to say, _this is our lives now._ Mendeleiev’s class wondered if they should intervene but for the time being decided to stand back and watch the fireworks.

“Ten euros says M. Fabron will be the first to cry,” Maison was telling Curtis.

The red haired boy looked over and saw the two men glaring at each other. M. Fabron was in street clothes; casual slacks and a short sleeved polo shirt. M. D’Argencourt wore his usual fencing attire. Did the man own any other clothes? “You’re on!”

The Drama teacher fired the first volley. "As you know my darlings will be able to actually encompass the emotions of Hamlet. Will you have your kids only do the final scene again and again to show their blade skills? Can they all sword fight? The play mentios sword fighting not fencing, Armand."

The fencing master was quick to return fire. "Heed my words you washed up Minstrel, my students understand how important the arts go and sword fighting is an art! My knights will surely devise a strategy and overrun your lofty kingdom of superiority." M. D'Argencourt’s flair for the dramatic was more than a match for M. Fabron’s.

A tall redheaded girl from M. D’Argencourt’s class approached Mendeleiev’s class. "Bro...kill me, Jean,” she pleaded. “Just slice me in two. They've been going at it since they saw each other!"

A handsome Asian boy joined his classmate. “Hey, guys, we’re starving. We’ve spent hours trying to keep our teachers from going at it. Do you know a good place to eat around here?”

“There’s a great shawarma place not too far from here,” Zayan tells him. “The owners are nice and the food is great! They have vegetarian and halal options too.” He gave the two detailed directions and they nodded gratefully.

The girl sighed with longing. “It’s been forever since I’ve had any good shawarma.” She looked at the boy next to her. “Let’s go get everyone some food.” Together they walked towards the food stand as three classes watched the drama unfold.

“Do you think they’ve realized they’re attracting a crowd?” Kagami whispered to Marinette.

The noirette sighed and crossed her arms. “I doubt they’ve noticed anyone’s here besides each other. The last thing we need is to have two of our teachers arrested at the flea market. Principal Damocles will have a fit if his careful little project is interrupted.” She looked around and saw curious shoppers stopping to watch the events unfold. Some of them stayed to see what would happen next. Others wandered away after a minute looking annoyed or confused. “The crowd seems to be entertained, though.”

‘I hope you don’t mind having your little fledglings being humiliated on stage, Jacques-Louis,” M. D’Argencourt was telling M. Fabron.

The drama teacher huffed and replied, "Do you even think someone who can barely handle public speaking can teach your students how to have a range in their acting? You are always wearing fencing gear. Even now!"

The fencing instructor looked down at himself and Marinette could swear the man blushed. “I-I put it on this morning without thinking!”

  1. Fabron groaned and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Really, Armand, don’t you own any other clothes?”



Marinette felt uncomfortable seeing two men she respected arguing in public. She alway thought adults had all the answers; being more experienced and mature than kids. Now she was having that notion disproved as two grown men simultaneously insulted each other while praising their own class.

“My students have the gravitas to bring the words of Shakespeare to life!”

“Varlet! Can you choreograph a duel onstage as well as my knights?”

“You say that as if I have no experience with stage combat.”

“Hmph! Your combat is as lifeless as your facial hair.”

“Big talk coming from a man with a silent movie era moustache!”

“How dare you!” D’Argencourt actually twirled his moustache like an aforementioned villain. His class just shook their heads and collectively facepalmed.

“Villain!”

“Take that back, Jacques-Louis!”

Meanwhile the students of three classes were watching the back and forth between the two men like a tennis match. A few comments were heard here and there.

“Wow. M. Fabron fights dirty,” Curtis whispered. “M. D’Argencourt is so proud of his ‘stache.”

“Well, he has a point,” Aurore popped up beside him. “That moustache is, in the words of a certain rich girl,” the weather girl flicked her hair and did an incredible impersonation of Chloe Bourgeois, “ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!”

Mendeleiev’s students giggled quietly to themselves but Marinette was beginning to feel uncomfortable watching the spectacle. Usually it was the teachers who stepped in when an argument went on this long. But what could anyone do when it was the _teachers_ who were arguing? Didn’t they know what a horrible example they were setting for their students? She idly wondered if she should ask Vivienne to call Mme. Mendeleiev. As the class rep she had their instructor’s number for emergencies and seeing two of their other teachers engaging in a “Dad Fight” seemed like such an emergency.

The noirette wrung her hands in indecision. Usually she’d be the first one to speak up and soothe ruffled feathers or mediate a disagreement. However, she was new to this class and while she had no responsibilities to the arguing teachers she also had no rights.

More than anything she just wanted the two men to stop arguing. She hated listening to two men she respected tear each other down in front of the very teens who were supposed to look up to them. The designer scanned the skies for tell tale signs of an akuma; all this ill-will could surely bring one.

Bellamy was the first person to notice she was pale and shaking. His natural maternal instincts rose inside him. “Are the teachers bothering you, Mari?Viv, Bri, iron will them!”

The Class Red, Co-Rep duo separated themselves from the rest of their class and approached the teachers;divide and conquer style . Viv talked down Mr. D'Argencourt: "To default with insults is against your proud nature and it's only making your students embarrassed. They will believe that you cannot handle yourself in public, and their morale will drop."

Bri said to M Fabron: "Sir, your students are counting on you to show them eloquence and majesty so they can deliver a wonderful performance of Hamlet. Don't you think stooping down to this level or arguments will have your students believe you can teach them to victory? They're depending on you!"

The two girls stood there, giving the teacher’s their best “I’m not angry, just disappointed” look. M. Fabron and M. D’Argencourt looked at each other and then the amassed crowd as the duo’s words began to sink in. They shook hands and embraced each other’s shoulders like brothers.

“My good, Armand,” the drama teacher began, “friends?”

“Always, Jacques-Louis,” the PE teacher replied and smiled as the crowd applauded. The pair clasped hands and bowed as if their argument had merely been a scheduled performance. The crowd dispersed until only the three classes remained.

“You know what would solve the problem?” Curtis suggested loudly, “why doesn’t one of you just do another play?”

Everyone stared at Curtis but he just shrugged and refused to back down. “Why doesn’t M. D’Argencourt do Hamlet and M. Fabron can do A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream? It has everything; drama, romance, mistaken identities, even wacky hijinks. M. D’Argencourt’s family has a long history so he’d be better with historic drama and M. Fabron has more theatre experience and Midsummer’s _is_ a pretty complicated play.”

The men looked at each other, then back at the tall red haired boy. “That is...honestly brilliant, young squire,” D’Argencourt conceded. He was sure his class’ more authentic sword experience would make Hamlet shine.

“Well done, Curtis!” Fabron praised. He was better equipped to handle the intricacies of a comedy with fantasy elements like Midsummer’s.

“Great! It’s settled! Happy costume hunting!” Curtis waved off the other two classes then turned back towards his class.

Brielle was impressed. “Did you just successfully mediate peace between the two most argumentative teachers at Francois Dupont?”

Curtis just shrugged innocently. “What, like it’s hard?”

Bellamy checked the time on his phone. “It’s getting a bit late and I’d like to have Marinette home before sunset. Let’s head over to Vivienne’s and divvy up the loot.”

Aurore stopped looking through her shopping bag and raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Oh? Are you a pirate now?”

“Arrr!”

*****

“Wow. Just...wow…”

Vivienne’s house wasn’t as big as the Agreste mansion but it did have a home gym for her to practice her routines. The room was half the size of a gymnasium and set with tumbling mats and parallel bars.

Vin grinned at her reaction. “I take it you’re impressed?”

Marinette thought of her cozy but small room. “Um...yes? Sorry, I don’t mean to gawk.”

Bellamy gave her a reassuring shoulder squeeze. “It’s okay, little cub, we all had the same reaction the first time we were over here.”

Kagami was suitably impressed. “If you cleared the floor you would have plenty of room to spar.”

“Sounds like a fun Girls Night idea,” Brielle directed the rest of the class to make a pile of shopping bags in an empty corner. “Movies, ice cream, and _kendo_ . _Kendo_ ’s the correct word, right?” she asked the Japanese girl.

Kagami was pleased someone was asking about her interests. “It’s only one of the arts my family excels in. Fencing, kendo, and _kyudo_ , a form of archery.”

“I’d like to see that for myself sometime,” Marinette told her. The noirette grinned sheepishly and tugged at one of her pigtails. “I’m too clumsy to try it myself, but I’d be glad to cheer you on!”

The Japanese girl gave her new friend an encouraging smile. “Just because you’re clumsy now doesn’t mean you’ll be clumsy forever,” she reassured the other girl. “Studying martial arts would help you with your balance and coordination. I could recommend a teacher. That goes for anyone else who would like to participate,” she directed her offer to the others in the room.

Marinette grinned, both at the offer and at Kagami’s sincere effort to fit in and make more friends. “I’d like that,” she bowed. “ _Arigato_ , Kagami- _san_ ,”

Kagami bowed back. “ _Douiteshimashite_ , Mari- _chan_ ,” her smile was tiny but kind. “Your pronunciation is better than Adrien’s.”

The designer laughed. “Thanks!” The compliment pleased her and she was surprised her heart didn’t flutter as much at the mention of her crush’s name.

“Okay, okay, it’s getting late!” Bellamy interrupted and brought everyone back to the task at hand. “Time to see what we have.” He grabbed a shopping bag. “Everyone grab a sack. On the count of three. One...two...three...dump!”

Everyone turned their bags upside down and obediently dumped the contents onto the floor. Directed by Marinette Bellamy, Brielle, and Vivienne started to separate everything into piles such as “jewelry”, “shoes”, “tops”, “bottoms” and so forth. Then everyone sat in a circle around the piles.

“Let me guess,” Aurore located the muumuu and held it up to herself. “Queen Bee, right?”

“Yes, how could I not?” Marinette ran her fingers over the material, pinching it. “I know the style is very dated but the pattern is just what we need. Plus, feel this material. I’m pretty sure it’s silk!” She let the material go and looked over at Vivienne. “Keep holding this up, Aurore. Hey, Viv? Do you have any paper I could borrow? I want to start making notes.”

“Be right back.” Vivienne raced off and returned with a blank memo pad. “Keep it. We never use it anyway.”

“Thanks!” The pages were unlined. Perfect. “I like the skirt on this muumuu. We could cut them down into shorts for you, Aurore,” Marinette scribed furiously as she spoke. “Then we take the bodice of this dress here,” she pulled out a solid lemon yellow 1950’s housewife dress, “and use it for the top. Maybe Bellamy can knit a long cardigan and a matching bee purse.”

“I can make a worbla base for the purse to give it some structure!” Zayan spoke up excitedly.

Marinette’s eyebrows drew together. “What’s worbla?” she asked.

The cosplayer smiled, pleased to talk about his hobby. “It’s a kind of plastic used to make armor for costumes. They use it all the time for Stormtroopers.” he explained. “You heat up the plastic, then shape it the way you want it. I could make a little round purse form, then we could glue the knitted part over it so it keeps its shape.”

“That’s safe, right?” Maison asked.

“Sure,” Zayan shrugged. “I’ve done it loads of times.”

“Okay, moving on. Aurore, you can put that down now if you like.” Marinette’s designing brain was going at two hundred kilometers an hour, ideas leaping from synapse to synapse so fast her class could barely keep up with her. They got out of her way while she rooted around in the tops and bottoms piles until she found some pieces she liked.

“Look at this!” She held up a pair of vintage brown jodhpurs and a brown military jacket, both made out of a light summer wool. “If you put these two together and alter the jodhpurs, you could make a modern riding outfit!” She eyed the buttons on the front of the jacket critically. “These look pretty old and cracked. I think I’ll redo them with frog enclosures instead, maybe in bronze.” She snapped her fingers. “Hey! I could embroider some little horseshoes going up the legs, also in bronze. Maybe a big horse on the back of the jacket as well.”

“What if you covered the horseshoe on the back in rhinestones?” Mireille spoke up then covered her mouth, afraid she’d spoken out of turn.

Marinette pointed to her. “Yes! Great idea! I love your input.” The other girl blushed with pleasure but the designer looked away as if she hadn’t seen. “The horseshoe on the back could be covered in topaz colored rhinestones. I think I saw a rusty old necklace that could work...aha!” She located the necklace and put it with the jacket to compare the colors. “I think that’ll look good together. Would you like to model this outfit, Mireille?” She grinned at the other girl. “I bet you’d rock a faux hawk.”

The Asian girl put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “I have some riding boots at home that would look good with this.”

“Perfect!” Marinette put the pieces neatly in a pile and scribbled some more notes.

The rest of the class looked at each other and grinned. Now that their newest classmate knew she didn’t have to do all the work she was free to create at will. It was fascinating to watch and made them wish she’d been with them all year.

Curtis decided Marinette had it too easy so far and decided to up the ante. “Hey, Mari! What do you think you could do with this?”

He threw a white denim work coverall at her and she caught it before it hit her in the face. Brielle blew a raspberry at him but he was unapologetic.

Marinette looked it over. It was good, sturdy material and not stained at all. It had no rips or tears either. It was just a little boring. She would soon fix that.

She looked Curtis up and down until the normally brash parkour expert blushed at the intensity in her gaze. “The good thing about denim is it takes dye really well. How do you feel about the color orange?” she finally asked.

The boy frowned, not sure what she was asking at first but caught on as she looked from him to the coverall. “Oh! I thought redheads weren’t supposed to wear it because it competed with our hair.”

“Depends on the shade and how dark or light your hair is,” she pursed her lips as she thought. “For you, I think a burnt orange would look good.” She held the garment up to his chest then stared at it. “For you I’m thinking cut this in half and make it into separates. Cut off the sleeves and turn the top half into a double breasted vest with cloth covered buttons. Since this coverall was made for an adult we could cut it down in front but leave the back as tails.”

“Fox tails?” Curtis teased but he was intrigued by the images the designer conjured up.

Marinette smiled and nodded. “Exactly. We could save part of the sleeves and add some white as contrast. Some leftover material could be used to make pockets with little black paw prints on them. Then the bottom becomes knee length shorts and ta-da! A summer suit you could move around in. All we’d need is a shirt, either black or white.”

“We have a white dress shirt right here!” Maison held it up for her approval.

“Perfect. Black is too hot for summer anyway.” She leaned back and looked up at Curtis’ head. “You know...this outfit is just crying out for a beret.”

“With little fox ears? Tell me it’ll have little fox ears, Curtis begged and the noirette smiled, “Bellamy?”

“Fox eared beret in burnt orange, got it. I’m adding it to the list,” Bellamy wrote it down.

“Look at this,” Ondine laughed as she pulled out an old fleece sweatshirt. “This must have belonged to Peter Crouch.”

They all laughed at the mention of the famous English soccer player but Marinette looked closely at the garment. The sleeves were frayed and the bottom was stained but the light blue material reminded her of the ocean which in turn made her think of Ondine. “I bet you look great in blue,” the designer told the swimmer.

Ondine beamed. “Yes. It’s my favorite color because it always makes me think of the water.”

“How would you like to model a cute beach cover up dress?” Once she knew she had the athlete’s attention she continued. “Remove the sleeves, alter the hood and shorten the bottom. Then we fit the shirt to you so it becomes a cute little A-line dress. I also would like to try dip-dyeing the whole thing in various shades of blue for a cool ombre effect.”

“Um,” Ondine began timidly. When Marinette turned to her she continued. “How about a few round paste jewels to look like bubbles and like a cool turtle mosaic on the back? We could use those abalone necklaces we found.”

“I like the way you think!” Marinette was thrilled everyone was contributing ideas and getting involved. She loved the back and forth this class had, the way everyone was encouraged, even expected to give input on everything they did together. “Now...the coverup needs something to cover up.”

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me,” Vivienne opened a cabinet and pulled out an armful of material. “What do you think we can do with these?” She dumped some leotards beside the designer.

“Well this is kind of obvious,” Marinette pulled out a Caribbean blue long sleeved leotard and held it up to Ondine, who giggled.

“Oh, yeah. For some reason that came in too big and I never even used it.” Vivienne remarked.

“Good, because now we don’t have to worry about sizing. It should fit Ondine perfectly. Now we just cut off the sleeves and make it a one piece.”

“It’s...a little plain, don’t you think?” The swimmer hated to complain but with the awesome coverup Marinette described, an unremarkable bathing suit would be a let down.

“Fair point,” the noirette thought for a moment. Suddenly she had an idea. “I learned how to do silk screening when I made t-shirts for Kitty Section.” She looked at the leotard again. “I could silk screen a turtle on the front and a little trail of bubbles on the back.”

“Speaking of turtles, why not a knitted backpack?” Alicia looked up from her phone to make a contribution.

Marinette jumped as the quiet girl spoke. Alicia rolled her eyes. “What? I’ve been here the whole time.”

Marinette decided to let it go. “Bellamy?” The designer called over her shoulder.

“For once, I’m actually ahead of you. I added it to the list as soon as you said turtle.”

“Another worbla form it is,” Zayan made a note on his phone.

The noirette dug through the leotard pile once again. “Hey, look at this!”

It was a full body white leotard with ruby rhinestones on the sleeves, bodice, and one leg. Aside from a coffee stain it was in good condition. “I think I have an idea for your outfit, Kagami!”

The fencer crossed her arms over her chest. “I will not wear sparkles,” she told the designer with mock sternness.

“Hey!” Vivienne called out indignantly.

“No offense,” Kagami assured the other girl. “It’s not my style. I’m not made to look...flashy.” She reassured her classmate. “I bet you looked amazing in this outfit but...what’s the expression? It’s not how I roll.”

“Yes, I did,” Vivienne agreed with stiff dignity and then laughed, ruining her serious face.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to remove the rhinestones and save them for another project.” Marinette held up the garment as she explained her idea. “I was thinking about cutting it in half to make an exercise outfit, a crop top and yoga pants.” She elaborated when she saw the confusion on Kagami’s face. “FirstI was thinking I’d take off the sleeves then one of the remaining straps to give it an asymmetrical look. Then I’d dye both pieces and add a cute wide ribbon to the bottom of the crop top.”

The crowd around her murmured with approval and she continued. “Just like with the turtle on the bathing suit I’d add a silk screened black dragon on one leg. It would start at the hem of the pants, wrap around your leg,” she traced where the creature would be with her fingers, “and end at the top of your hip. I might save two of the rhinestones for eyes.” She looked up into Kagami’s surprised face. “What do you think? I picked a dragon for you because I know that’s your sign. Hope that’s okay,” the designer gave her friend an uncertain smile. She hoped the fencer didn’t pick up on the fact she knew about Ryuko.

Kagami blinked rapidly, touched that her friend had remembered their conversation during the friendship contest. She felt a twinge of conscience that she’d ever thought the other girl had used Luka to make Adrien jealous. She also felt bad she could never tell the noirette about her one-time secret identity.

“I love it,” the Japanese girl sounded a bit choked. “I am honored to model for you, Marinette.”

The designer pretended not to notice her friend was getting misty eyed. “I’m just glad you like my ideas,” she said modestly.

“What about me? What about this?” Zayan pulled out a sherwani, a traditional indian garment, and a pair of dhoti pants. The Sherwani was made from jacquard silk in a pale beige while the dhoti were a medium brown. 

“That material is gorgeous. The pants are just the right shade but we need to dye the sherwani so you look more like King Monkey.” She looked both pieces over. “We can cut part of the bottom off so the hem is even with your waist and tailor it to fit you, then reuse the pieces to make the collar bigger and more extravagant.” She continued and Zayan nodded, already picturing what she had in mind.

“We found this faux leather bomber jacket,” Maison tossed it to her.

“Awesome! We can add some leg bracers, patches on the hips of the dhoti and pauldrons on the shoulders. Maybe make some split toed shoes...hm…” Marinette frowned. “King Monkey is more difficult than I thought...save some long strips of the faux jacket and braid it into a belt like his tail. Add pockets in the front and some embroidery in gold and red.”

Zayan smiled then looked a little wary. “You’re not going to embroider a banana on the back, are you?”

The designer laughed. “Heavens no! I was going to embroider “Son Wukong” on the back in Mandarin.” She’d been learning with her mom and now was as good as time as any to show off what she’d learned.

“Hey, you’re forgetting someone,” Jean pouted cutely. “Your enchanting host would like an amazing, show stopping number too, you know.”

Marinette couldn’t recall whether or not she’d seen any more base garments for men in the pile. “Shoot! I’m all out of ideas. Suggestions?”

“Ta-da!” Jean whipped out a faux snakeskin leisure suit from out behind his back. The group had a feeling he’d been waiting all night to spring the outfit he’d found on them.

Brielle examined the pants then dropped them back on the ground. “These are a total loss.”

Jean sighed in disappointment but Marinette jumped to his rescue. “Not the jacket! It’s nearly perfect.” She held it in her lap then looked at the magician. The teal would look flattering against Jean tan skin and dark hair. “I bet you’d look great in this once I fix it up. Maybe a motorcycle jacket?”

Jean was glad to be consulted. “I’d rock a motorcycle jacket,” he told her, ignoring the boos from Aurore and Brielle.

“I don’t suppose you have a pair of black pants at home you don’t care about, do you?”

Jean thought about it. “I have some magician’s pants that are too long,” he said finally.

“Good,” Marinette showed him the snakeskin pants again. “I could cut some long strips out of these and sew them on to your pants after I hem them.” She winked at the magician. “I bet you have a top hat too. I could make a matching hatband for it. I’d also like to add some rockeresque makeup, very avant garde.”

Jean put his hand on his chest and pretended to be surprised. “How ever did you guess? Just call me...The Man of Teal.” The pair shared a laugh and Vivienne clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

“All right, the sun is beginning to set and some of us have chores waiting for us at home.” She looked around the room. The fun Viv was gone and class rep Vivienne stood in her place. “We have our outfits planned-”

“Wait!”

Alicia’s cry stopped them. “What about that mouse hero?” Again, everyone looked surprised she was there.” She ignored them. “TVI’s surveillance cameras caught footage of a tiny heroine wearing a pink, black, and grey costume. She was about the size of a mouse...very cute aesthetic.”

“I saw that footage too! I think they were calling her Multimouse,” Marinette added. “You’re right, she can be the last outfit we feature. Who wants to dress up as Multi Mouse?”

Everyone looked at each other and their gaze settled on Vivienne. She looked surprised for a moment, then shrugged. “I guess I can do it if Brielle and Mari don’t want to.”

“What would you like your outfit to look like?” Marinette asked kindly. She hated putting the responsibility on the blonde but there was no way she could walk down a runway without face planting.

“Let’s clean while we brainstorm,” Vivienne put all the pieces that the designer said would go together in separate bags then set them neatly in the corner. The rest of the class copied her until only two unused leotards remained.

Vivienne picked up a silvery gray one. It was a wraparound and had tiny white seed pearls scattered over the bodice.

Marinette loved it. “I want to add some more seed pearls and some grey, black and pink embroidery, maybe a black belt with paste jewelry on it. Then we add layered tulle to form a skirt. I’m thinking three layers overlaid on top; black on the bottom, pink in the middle, and gray on top.” She looked at Vivienne. “Do you like it?”

The class rep seemed dazzled. “Are you kidding me? I love it! And I could put my hair in space buns so it looks like I have mouse ears. Maybe with some multicolored ribbons too.”

“The shoes could be lace up sandals but the laces are ribbons instead,” Ondine added.

“Like ballet shoes. That’s perfect,” Viviene got to her feet as the last of the items were put away. “I think we’re done with our planning stage!”

“Wonderful, perfect timing,” Bellamy herded all of his “babies” together. “Time for all good boys and girls to go home. We can take everyone’s measurements first thing Monday morning.”

  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. We're gonna need a montage!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets some inspiration, Mendeleiev's class gets a place to create, Bustier's gets to work, Lila gets to scheming and the readers get a montage.

**Chapter Eight: “We’re gonna need a montage!”**

If Friday and Saturday brought rosy fingered sunrises and pleasant weather, Sunday was a cloudy, gloomy mess.

Only the skies were cloudy. The gloom was provided by, of all people, Rose Lavilant.

Marinette appreciated being invited aboard the Liberty for Sunday brunch with the Couffaines and Rose but also felt a bit nervous. She hadn’t been in the same class with Juleka and Rose in a week now and although she still considered nearly everyone in Bustier’s class to be her friends, she wasn’t sure how close she was to them any more. She’d have to wait to hang out either after school or on the weekends but her new classmates were also becoming her friends as well. Maybe she should ditch Adrien’s schedule and draw up one for herself so she could spend as much time with both friend groups as possible.

She could hear Luka playing below decks on his acoustic guitar and she felt the tension in her shoulders eased as her body relaxed. Just hearing her guitarist... _ friend _ play made her feel comfortable and not as burdened. Then again, it could just be she didn’t feel the weight of everyone’s expectations crushing her as bad as she used to. The thought made her feel disloyal even as she enjoyed the sensation. Her friends appreciated everything she did for them, didn’t they?”

The noirette shook her head to clear her thoughts and made her way to the aft deck. There she found it even messier than usual. Piles of balled up pieces of paper lay strewn about, being neatly sorted by Juleka. Rose sat on the stage and listlessly wrote on a legal pad. After ten minutes she would look at what she wrote, grimaced, and balled up the sheet before tossing it onto one of Juleka’s piles.

Marinette stood quietly for nearly fifteen minutes before clearing her throat to get the two girl’s attention.

Rose was the first to notice her. Her eyes looked a bit red from crying but if she and Juleka were having relationship issues she wouldn’t be hanging out onboard she would have gone home. Her usually bright eyes and cheerful expression were absent and the pall over her was almost palpable. The designer wondered if the group project was what had the sweet angel so depressed. If so this was partially her fault for suggesting Rose be the class playwright, but she just couldn’t imagine anyone else doing a better job.

“Hey, Rose,” Marinette approached the blond pixie. She stared at the deck boards and said reluctantly, “you look...uh…”

“Horrible. That’s the word you’re thinking of, Marinette.” Rose’s voice was almost as gloomy as her expression. “I'm a hack writer who shouldn’t be allowed to write as much as a commercial for the rest of my life.”

“My girlfriend is out-Emoing me. I don't know what my place in life is any more.” Juleka spoke up for the first time and sighed at Marinette until a thought hit her. “Do I have to be...the Prep now?!” she asked in a terrified whisper.

“Worse...the  _ Perky _ Prep,” the noirette replied and then shook her head so the tall Goth girl would know she was joking.

Juleka sagged with relief. “Good. It took me a long time to build up my goth rep. I’d hate to have to give it up.

“Marinette?” the pixie looked at the designer, hope shining in her eyes. “I know you’re not a writer but you’re still really smart. Can I ask you for some advice?”

The pig tailed girl hedged. “Is it about your group project?”

Rose nodded and if possible her enormous eyes got even bigger. 

Still the designer hesitated. “I thought we were supposed to keep the details of each project to ourselves. After all, won’t your play be better if we’re surprised?”

The pixie sighed and Marinette could swear she saw a cartoon rain cloud appear over the tiny blonde’s head. “At this rate the play won’t even be written!”

The designer’s first instinct was to think her blonde friend was exaggerating; Rose was pretty excitable, but she didn’t want to discount the girl’s feelings either. She sat down next to the pixie and asked gently, “Why don’t you tell me where you’re stuck where you’re writing and we can go from there? I promise anything you say about your project will remain between me, you, and Juleka.” Marinette raised her right hand as if swearing an oath. “Think of this conversation as a verbal non-disclosure agreement.”

Rose nodded. Her parents were lawyers and they’d been discussing a possible contract with Bob Roth Records. She looked at the noirette with hopeful expectation; as if she alone could solve all of Rose’s problems. Marinette felt the uncomfortable weight of expectations return and she realized that’s how she had felt in Bustier’s class all the time. She also realized she hadn’t missed it.

“I...can’t write this play for you, but I’d be glad to give you some pointers,” the noirette told her friend cautiously. “I’m sure all you need is a hint here and there and you can come up with something amazing all on your own.” She smiled at her friend, who smiled back. Feeling a bit relieved, Marinette continued, “so, what’s your play about?”

“Well…” Rose hedged and looked at Juleka for support.

“Hawk Moth,” Juleka mumbled, “we’re doing a comedic play about Hawk Moth.” At Marinette’s look of confusion and concern she elaborated, “we decided to do a play that acts out his secret villainy. You know…’A Day in the Life’ sort of thing. We thought it would be funny for the people of Paris, and our class in particular to portray him as this pathetic loser we should laugh at instead of being afraid of.”

The designer blinked, impressed. “That’s...a very good idea.” She imagined the villain stomping around his lair, yelling at his butterflies and ordering Mayura. “I mean, you’d have to be careful to be tasteful and sensitive to people’s feelings but that could be very funny and cathartic to some people.”

“That’s what we thought at first too,” Juleka replied. She looked over at her girlfriend and frowned in concern. “But…”

Rose sighed. “But…” she hesitated.

Marinette waited patiently for her friend to continue. Juleka walked away from the reject piles to sit beside her girlfriend and hold her hand in unspoken support. Marinette smiled. They had such a supportive relationship it almost made her jealous.

Rose kissed Juleka’s cheek and continued, taking strength from the tall Goth girl’s presence. “But...you know...most of our class has been akumatized.” She shivered and Juleka wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I can still hear him, in my head. He’s whispering all sorts of mean things I should do and he makes it sound so reasonable. He acts like it’s your choice but it really isn’t.”

The designer took Rose’s other hand. “I know what you mean. When I was expelled and the scarlet moths showed up, I could hear him in my head too. I don’t blame you for being scared. If writing this play is making you relive your trauma, you shouldn’t do it.” That sounded like something Ladybug would say so Marinette felt confident in saying it. 

“We could go to Mlle. Bustier and suggest we either change the play or do another project,” Juleka suggested.

The noirette was stuck by sudden inspiration. “Or...why not shift the focus of the play?”

Rose blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Marinette went on to explain. “Okay, so the play is still about Hawk Moth but he’s no longer the main character.”

“So...who would be?” Juleka wanted to know, “Mayura?”

“Exactly!” the noirette replied, pleased her friend had caught on. “It’s now Mayura’s secret diary and all about how difficult it is to work for the Villain of Paris.” For some reason an image of Gabriel Agreste looking stern and displeased about something flitted through her mind. “To everyone else he’s mean and scary but to her he could be this hard to please boss with lots of hidden insecurities!”

Juleka chuckled to herself and laid down on the stage, hand to her forehead. “Dear Diary. It’s been exactly a year since my boss put on a ski mask and decided to terrorize Paris to get his hands on some magical jewelry. Every time he’s defeated by a girl in spandex and a furry. I think I need to find a new job.”

Marinette laughed so hard she nearly fell over then sat up straight. “That’s perfect!” She pointed at Juleka then looked at Rose. “ _ That  _ is exactly how you should write Mayura. As some depressed, put-upon assistant who has to deal with some psychopathic manchild and her way of coping is being a deadpan snarker.”

The blond pixie stared at her so hard the noirette was afraid she’d made the wrong suggestion until the tiny girl squealed with glee and hugged her designer friend. She pulled away and hugged her girlfriend as well. “That’s...that’s perfect!” she exclaimed and grabbed her notepad. “Mayura isn’t scary and having her make fun of her own boss will make it okay for me...and the audience...to laugh at him as well.” Rose wrote at least three pages before looking at her friend. “Thank you, Marinette. You always make everything better, just by being you.”

Juleka sat up and gave the designer one of her rare warm smiles. “Yeah. You’re awesome.” She sighed and looked down. “Things in class aren’t bad, but it’s just not the same without you there. I’m sorry the school had to move you.”

The noirette just smiled, grateful to be missed and appreciated. “Thank you, Juleka. It’s just...something that happened. It doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends. And my new class is pretty nice!”

“What about Mme. Mendeleiev?” Rose wanted to know. “Is she nice too?”

Marinette tried to find the right words to describe her new homeroom teacher. “She...might not be as overly friendly and outgoing as Mlle. Bustier, but she cares about her students. She’s strict but she’s fair and her class has even come up with ways to help people calm themselves if they feel angry or upset. They talk out their feelings to help prevent becoming akumatized. Don’t get me wrong, Mlle. Bustier’s meditation techniques are great but so is thinking about the problem logically and coming up with a solution.”

“You sound pretty happy,” Juleka told her wistfully. “I guess it would be selfish to ask you to come back if we could switch you with Nathaniel or something.”

“Well...if that’s what Nathaniel wanted, I would at least think about it.” Marinette laughed nervously. “I can’t say I miss being in the same class as Chloe after four years. And it’s a relief to not be class rep any more, especially with this group project. I need the spare time to design. “

Neither of her friends pressed her further and she was glad they were letting the subject drop. She truly loved all her friends but she didn’t love the pressure they had put her under. It was partially her own fault for not putting her foot down when she felt overwhelmed but she wished they would ask her if she was okay more often. Like Bellamy or Viv did.

“So...what’s it like being in a class with Kagami?” Juleka asked after a few minutes of companionable silence. “I’d think it’d be kinda awkward to have your love rival in the same class you were, right?”

“Not as much as you would think.” Marinette was pleased with the change of subject but wished the Goth had picked something less uncomfortable. “Kagami and I are becoming friends. We even sit at the same workstation.”

“Oooh!” Rose looked at Marinette with interest. “Does becoming friends with Kagami mean you’re not in love with Adrien any more?”

“Does this mean no more Girl Squad meetings at eight am on a Saturday?” Juleka teased.

The designer huffed. “You can be friends with your love rival, you know. It doesn’t mean I care any less about Adrien because she and I are friends now. It  _ does _ mean I’d be just as happy for her as I’d be for myself if he chose her. It also means no more hostility like with Chloe.” She still felt ashamed of how she’d tried to sabotage Kagami and Adrien’s date out of jealousy. What had she been thinking, teaming up with Chloe? Adrien had the right to live his own life, even if he moved to Japan.

“That has to be a relief,” Rose offered.

Marinette nodded. “It is. Kagami is a good person and she genuinely cares about Adrien. She’s not just pursuing him because he’s rich or famous.” _ Unlike some people.  _ “Don’t get me wrong, it would still hurt, but at least I know he’d be with someone who likes him for himself.”

“Awww!” Rose cooed and hugged her friend. “That’s so wise and selfless of you!”

“It’s pretty cool,” Juleka agreed.

The designer just laughed. “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up on Adrien just yet. I’ve just realized I don’t have to be jealous of Kagami because we like the same boy. No guy is worth hating someone.”

“What about Chloe and Lila?” Juleka’s tone was gentle but Marinette couldn’t help but feel stabbed and a bit betrayed.

“I…”

“I bet Lila could introduce you to another boy,” Rose offered. “Someone just as cute and famous and nice as Adrien. Maybe if you two were better friends…”

Juleka cleared her throat and eyed the submarine door leading below deck.

Rose’s hands flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything by it! Luka’s wonderful. He’s cute and sweet and sensitive, talented, a great listener…”

Marinette just smiled, trying not to blush as she thought of Juleka’s empathetic and very attractive older brother. “Well, yeah, Luka’s all of those things and more. But to be honest...I don’t have much time to think of romance for the next few months. Not if I want my class’ fashion show to be as good or better than the completely fantastic play I know Rose is going to write!”

Rose just laughed. “Oh, you’ll come up with something amazing, you always do. In fact,” her big blue eyes turned mischievous. “I’ll bet you that your show will be just as good as our play. If I win, you have to go with us and Luka to get ice cream at Andre’s.”

“And if I win…” Marinette thought about it for a minute. “I want you to write a Kitty Section song about...me! Just kidding. My parents’ twenty-first anniversary is coming up soon. I think they’d love a Rose Lavilant original song.”

Juleka raised a brow. “Your dad likes hard rock?”

“My mom does!”

Rose held out her hand. “You’re on!”

The two girls shook hands solemnly and then giggled. This group project could be a lot more fun than they thought, especially with a friendly wager to spice things up.

*****

The first two weeks passed by in a blur. Fabron and D’Argencourt’s classes assembled their costumes (supplementing their flea market finds with a few pieces borrowed from M. Harprele’s troupe) and began rehearsing; one class in the gymnasium, the other on the basketball court in the middle of the school. Various other classes claimed both the Art and the Drama room and Bustier was able to snag the auditorium just minutes before Mendeleiev could request it for her own students.

“Surely they don’t need it day and night, Aristotle,” Mme. Mendeleiev tried to argue with the principal. “I’m sure if Caline and I put our heads together we could easily work out a schedule where we could share the workspace between us.”

“Yes, well, under normal circumstances you would be correct, Demeter. But her students need the room for set building, rehearsal space, and the like. Plus, there is always the damage of...er...sabotage,” Damocles finished awkwardly, parroting the lie told to him by Bustier (made up by Lila, no doubt.)

Mme. Mendeleiev got uncomfortably close to the principal and pinned him to the way with her ice blue eyes. “You mean to tell me, Aristotle, that you are of the notion that any of my students would sabotage the hard work of another class?”

“Well...Demeter...surely not all of them...but! You have a known troublemaker in your class now and Mlle. Bustier is concerned that…”

“Ah,” Mendeleiev pretended to understand, “I see exactly what you are talking about. You’re implying Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a young woman who has been in this school for four years without incident has somehow morphed into a delinquent in a matter of months.”

“Well…” Damocles’ self-confidence began to wane in the face of the science teacher’s tranquil fury.

“And you have come to this egregious hypothesis due to the actions of one student, a student who claims to have been absent from school for months due to an overseas trip. This trip has not been verified by contacting the child’s mother. She also claims to have a variety of ailments not verified by either her mother or a medical professional.”

The principal struggled to defend his position. “The child has a condition that causes her to-”

“Lie uncontrollably. So you’ve told me,” Mendeleiev glared at her colleague, completely unimpressed or convinced. “I’ve done a bit of research, Aristotle and could find no such _ disease. _ There is a mental condition known as pathological lying, which seems much more likely. It would also mean anything the student said would be immediately suspect and should be carefully investigated.”

“Now, Demeter, be reasonable,” Damocles tried to say but was cut off.

The science teacher took several calming breaths and stepped away from the principal. “As usual, I see that I am on my own to deal with issues caused by other parties. Your hypothesis is invalid, Aristotle.”

“But-” Damocles had the distinct impression he’d been outmaneuvered.

“Good day,” Mendeleiev turned on her heel and sauntered out of the principal’s office, leaving the man confused yet impressed.

*****

“And there you have it, students,” Mendeleiev said heavily as she looked around at the disappointed faces of her students. “There isn’t an unused space big enough for us to create Marinette’s fashions. The only space we have is the classroom itself.”

“It’s not your fault, Mme. Mendeleiev,” Marinette tried to reassure her teacher, who was clearly disappointed on her students’ behalf. “This room is big enough to get everyone’s measurements at least.”

“But not big enough to haul in sewing machines and our clothing pieces,” Viv pointed out, practical as always. “Plus we can’t be sure we won’t have to deal with saboteurs either.” The class rep trusted Bustier’s class about as far as she could throw them. “I’d offer my home gym but unless I find a way to move all my equipment out, there still won’t be enough room.”

Everyone drooped with disappointment until Mireille timidly raised her hand.

Mendeleiev noticed and called out, “Yes, Mireille?”

The shy young girl put her hand down and pitched her voice only a tiny bit louder than normal. “My boyfriend Theo has a studio. Well, his parents own the studio,” she blushed. “He rents it from them and works odd jobs to keep the lights on between sculpting jobs.”

Finally, some good news. Bellamy turned to Mireille. “Is he doing any sculpting at the moment? Do you think he’d let us use the space?”

The girl nodded. “I’m pretty sure. He doesn’t have anything going on right now. I could ask him for a favor, considering this project is twenty percent of our grade and I know he doesn’t want me to fail.”

Marinette remembered Theo as the boy who created the fantastic Ladybug and Chat Noir statues. He was also akumatized as Copycat when she failed to attend the unveiling. The young sculptor also had had a crush on Ladybug. Fortunately he’d gotten over it just in time to notice what a lovely and sweet girl Mireille was. He and Luka attended the same _ lycee _ , a school known for its art program. The noirette was grateful for the lucky coincidence and made a mental note to give Tikki an extra large cookie for dinner.

*****

“This...is...perfect!” Bellamy looked around Theo’s studio. Marinette tried not to wince as she saw the life sized drawing of her alter-ego still up on the wall. 

“Look at all this room!” Viv did a forward cartwheel just because she could. “We could get up the sewing machines over there and have the clothes stores over there.” She pointed to various parts of the room. “I talked to the drama teacher and he’s loaning us a clothing rack his class isn’t using at the moment. We can keep the completed designs on it.”

“Um...Theo?” The designer approached the older boy warily. She was mostly sure he wouldn’t recognize her but there was always a chance his artistic eye would pick up on the similarities between her and the spotted hero. She didn’t even change her hairstyle for kwami’s sake!

He just smiled at her politely, no recognition in his eyes. “Yes? Uh…”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Nice to meet you,” her smile was relieved and polite, pretending he was just the boyfriend of her classmate and not a former akuma victim. “I’ve seen your work in the park. It’s amazing!”

The older boy turned pink, from embarrassment or pleasure she couldn’t be sure. The designer pretended not to notice. “Thanks for letting us borrow your studio like this. It’s a huge help.”

Theo just shrugged modestly. “It’s no big deal. I don’t have any big projects going on right now and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help Mireille.” He gave his girlfriend a fond smile, making her giggle and blush.

“All the other classes are hogging the work space,” Brielle told him bluntly. “Plus we can lock this place up without having to worry about a rival class messing with our stuff.”

The artist frowned sympathetically. “Mireille told me you had a few new students and one of them had come from what she referred to as ‘The Akuma Class’.” He looked straight at Marinette. “That’s you, huh? According to Mireille,” he put his arm around the petite girl’s waist. “You had a lucky break, getting away from those guys. Mendeliev might be strict, but at least she doesn’t allow bullies like Chloe Bourgeois to get away with whatever they want.”

“Ah, yeah,” Marinette tugged on one of her pigtails nervously and looked at her feet. She’d rather not be reminded of her time being stuck with Chloe but didn’t want to be rude.

“Marinette’s our designer,” Mireille quickly but gently changed the subject. “She came up with the idea to alter existing clothing into totally new fashions! It’s called ‘upcycling’ and we’re all going to be wearing outfits inspired by the heroes of Paris.”

Theo looked interested. “Oh? You mean like Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

The noirette was glad he didn’t seem to hold any ill-will towards her or her partner. “Actually, I decided to go with the temporary heroes, like Carapace and Rena Rouge, some heroes that haven’t gotten the spotlight like Ladybug or Chat Noir but still deserve it.”

“Plus everyone would expect you to feature those two so using the temporary heroes as your headliners is both original and exciting.” Theo gave the young designer a thumbs up. “As an artist myself, I approve. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. I may not be a student at Francois Dupont any more but I hope you’ll at least let me see the completed outfits.”

Marinette nodded. “Absolutely. It’s the least we can do after all your help.”

The artist grinned. “Well, I just hope you plan to make something amazing for Mireille to wear.” He hugged his girlfriend. “Hey, do you have a web page?”

The noirette brightened. “Yes, I do! I just started one to show off my designs. I also take commissions, but I’m suspending them until after the contest.”

Theo nodded his approval. “Smart. It’s good you know how to plan ahead. You know, I do some photography too. If you like, I can take some pictures of the outfits once they're done, with your models of course for your website. I just ask to be credited and that you include a link to my Instagram. It’s a good way to advertise both of our services.

Marinette looked back at Vivienne and Brielle for their permission. The two blondes just shrugged as if to say, “It’s your decision” and the designer turned back to Theo, hand outstretched. “Sounds like a good deal to me.”

He took her hand and shook it. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to hear a little more about this upcycling and what kind of design are you planning for Mireille.”

*****

Meanwhile, Mlle. Bustier’s class was also hard at work; Kim and Ivan built sets, Nathaniel and Alix painted backdrops and Juleka helped Ivan and Rose compose when the latter was available. The blonde playwright finished the script within three days and all she would say when asked was she was visited by “inspiration” aboard the _ Liberty.  _

Alya and Sabrina also kept busy, either as production assistants (Sabrina was the only person who could deal with Chloe’s diva moments) or filling minor roles such as akumas. Alya also assisted Nino when she had the time and kept the young director from having a breakdown.

“You know, for someone who’s relaxed and chill most of the time, you’re very serious when you’re in that director’s chair,” the journalist told her boyfriend. “In fact, it’s kinda sexy.”

“Really, babe?” Nino gave the blogger what he hoped was a seductive wink and the two made a date to play Super Penguino after school.

Chloe was doing what she did best; bossing people around and charging things to her father. Rose and Juleka had mysteriously acquired some costume designs and the mayor’s daughter hired a small army of seamstresses to make them all. Juleka and Rose refused to tell where the designs came from and Chloe pretended not to notice how amazing yet familiar the designs were. However witnesses claimed that if the blonde and the noirette saw each other in the hallways they at least managed to be civil. Marinette was pleasantly surprised and Chloe’s respect for the other girl went from negligible to almost noticeable.

Adrien was having the time of his life playing the over-the-top Hawkmoth to Mylene’s subdued but snarky Mayura. The two played off each other very well and were glad to have another chance to work together after the Horrificator fiasco. The model enjoyed stomping around the stage, crying over his assorted failures and raging ineffectively. In contrast Mylene was the voice of reason as the put-upon assistant and the two had such a good time working together it hardly seemed like a group assignment at all, just a good chance to hang out with friends without his father’s reprimand. It also did his inner Chat Noir good to get out some of the frustrations he had with the villain.

Max and Markov did a great job keeping everyone on schedule; taking breaks when needed and helpfully supplying lines if someone forgot theirs. Somehow the two of them had managed to convince Chloe to pay for craft services so that everyone would have snacks while they worked. She had even gone the extra mile and had the catering done by the Dupain-Chengs and delivered by Luka and Theo, giving the two boys some much-needed extra cash.

Mlle. Bustier was thrilled class harmony was back at last, even though it was at the expense of her former star pupil, her favorite student for the past two years. Well, she couldn’t have the girl calling out a fellow student as a liar, could she? Marinette had refused to befriend Lila, an almost unpardonable sin as far as the young teacher was concerned. The poor dear had so many medical issues caused by her charity work and rescues that she deserved a little extra care and attention. 

In her heart of hearts Caline missed the noirette’s bright smile, her bubbling personality, even the little wiggle she would do when especially excited. The girl made being class rep look effortless and did such a good job as the class example the teacher barely had to lift a finger. That had all changed when her little star had allowed herself to become jealous of such an accomplished young woman. Marinette had plenty of talent and charisma; her bad attitude was unwarranted and so, although it hurt Caline to do it, the child had to go.

Well, it had all worked out for both teacher and student. The girl was thriving under Demeter’s watchful eye and although she hadn’t taken up a leadership role like she had under Bustier at least she wasn’t disrupting class. Truly Bustier had done what was best for everyone involved.

She felt a tiniest twinge of guilt; not for transferring the young designer but for taking the best spot in the school to work on the group project. Her class needed the space for rehearsals and set building and while she might have been able to work out a sharing schedule with Demeter she really couldn’t risk it. Lila had come to her privately and shared her concerns. Even though the noirette was happy with her new class and building new relationships while still being friends with Bustier’s students, there was a chance she was faking. Marinette could be holding a secret resistance towards her former teacher, her class, and the girl she thought had taken her rightful place; LIla. The Italian girl worried that if they shared their space with the other class there was a chance the designer could sabotage the play. Perhaps she would even recruit Mendeleiev’s class to help her. If the two classes weren’t sharing space then Marinette wouldn’t have the opportunity or temptation for vandalism.

_ But Marinette spent a lot of time and effort assigning roles everyone would enjoy _ , the teacher’s conscience whispered.  _ She took into account everyone’s strengths and gave them jobs according to ability. She even made the play a comedy so Mylene wouldn’t be afraid. _

_ Yes, but what role did she give Lila?  _ Her paranoia argued.  _ A mere supporting role? That proves Marinettte is jealous of the girl for no reason. _

_ Well, has Lila ever mentioned being in a play? Do you know if she has any experience like Mylene does? You can’t expect a mere teenager to know everything. Lila knows plenty of celebrities and has done lots of important things. Surely she would deny Mylene the right to star. She’d probably cheer her on and wish her good luck. _

Well, what’s done is done. Everything was going so perfectly, Caline wasn’t going to bother to change anything unless she had to.

*****

Everything was going so well for Bustier’s class as a whole. Everyone was having so much fun getting ready for the play and looking forward to their parents attending and the event being live streamed and uploaded to the school’s website by Alya for parents who couldn’t attend. All the students had been given an important role and would have a chance to shine.

Who wouldn’t be thrilled by the opportunities hand selected for them by their sweet, thoughtful friend, Marinette?

Lila Rossi, that’s who.

Really, a supporting role?  _ Her  _ and not that dumpy little Mylene? Oh sure, the girl had more experience, some would even say talent but those people had never seen Lila.  _ She _ had the face and body that deserved to play the lead. The Italian couldn’t believe her teacher had folded so easily when that other class rep said no to auditions and they would play the parts assigned and that was that. Ugh. Bustier was so easy to manipulate but Lila hated it when someone else beat her at her own game.

She hated Mendeleiev’s class even before Mari-brat had joined them. The science teacher demanded doctor’s notes or a meeting with her mother before she would make special accommodations. Lila could provide neither and the steely-eyed woman would reject any attempts at forgery; she’d even threatened Lila with detention if she ever tried “such blatant falsehoods in her class again.” God, she hated that woman.

All the goody-goodys in her class just made it worse. They had two celebrity students compared to Bustier’s one (Adrien of course) and were a lot harder to impress. Any time she tried to make up lies to win them over they’d pull out their phones and Google her name, feigning surprise when they found nothing. If it weren’t for the fact Bustier’s class was so gullible she’d have no admirers at all.

She always had the impression that class looked down on her because they always shot her down when she tried to tell them about her fabulous (read: made up) life.

“Pics or it didn’t happen,” Vivienne told her after Lila mentioned saving Jagged’s cat.

“Yeah, no. I’m going to need to see some receipts, please,” Brielle brushed off her story about Clara Nightingale

Even Bellamy, a cute boy referred to as the “Mom friend” gave her a “I’m not mad, just disappointed” look every time he saw her on the way to the cafeteria.

Well, she didn’t need their admiration but she noticed they held sway with other classes for some reason, as did Marinette. Something about the pigtailed girl being such an amazing leader or something, who cared. Every now and then she’d notice the open contempt other classes gave hers and even a whisper of “Akuma Class” now and then. That was hardly her fault. Most of her class had been akumatized before she’d ever joined, many because of something Chloe Bourgeois did.

She wasn’t the problem. It was all someone else’s fault. Chloe’s fault.

Chloe and Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Lila didn’t think it was possible to hate someone as much as she did Marinette. The girl wasn’t nearly as pretty as herself but at least two boys in Bustier’s class used to have crushes on her. Now she was receiving presents from admirers who had been waiting for her to leave “The Akuma Class” so they could ask her out. Her new class liked her immediately, even that Ice Queen Tsurugi.

That wasn’t the half of it! She was even more popular with her own class now! Any attempts to smear her good name were quickly thwarted by Adrien, who was all but mooning over her. Neither Rose nor Juleka would hear a word against her. The entire class thought she was wonderful and sweet and giving and talented. 

Mari-brat made her feel things she hated; fake, untalented, unimportant.

_ Inferior. _

Well, no more. She was going to upstage and outshine that baker girl. Her class couldn’t work on their project anywhere on campus and had to find space elsewhere. That made it harder to spy on her but not impossible. She’d have to find where they’d set up and ruin them somehow. The clever little  _ merdas  _ didn’t make it easy for her to follow them; they’d all take different routes to wherever they were going. Trying to get Nathaniel to try and get information out of Marc was no good. The tomato head used to have a thing for Marinette and his boyfriend credited the noirette for getting them together. No one else in Mendeleiev’s class would even talk to her. Ondine told Kim the class had signed a non-disclosure agreement and she couldn’t even tell her boyfriend without risking legal action. That could be a lie or the truth but the jock wouldn’t risk getting his broad shouldered sweetheart angry at him.

Well, who cared about whatever rags Marinette tried to pass off as fashion? She’d go back to her original plan and be the star of the play. All she had to do was steal it from Mylene. Fortunately she already had Bustier under her thumb.

*****

“Mlle. Bustier?”

Lila had waited until class was over and everyone was out before approaching her teacher. Bustier looked up and her and the smile on her face faded into concern. “Lila? Have you been crying?”

The Italian girl was very proud of herself. She had real tears in her eyes, created by pinching herself as hard as she could. The faux crying was having the desired effect; the redhead looked prepared to give her anything to keep her happy.

“What is it, Lila? What’s wrong?” Every now and then...just every now and then Caline wondered if she’d traded the wrong student. Lila was certainly high maintenance compared to Marinette but the teacher was certain she was the kind of instructor a sensitive girl like Lila needed, not Demeter.

Lila pinched and twisted the sensitive skin near her wrist to make herself cry in earnest and made it look like she was wringing her hands in dismay. Her teacher’s look of concern intensified and she decided to turn her performance up a notch.

“I can trust you, right, Mlle. Bustier? You won’t repeat anything I say to the class? I’d hate to upset anyone.” At her teacher’s nod she continued.

“I just...feel singled out. Everyone is doing just amazing work; and I’ve been practicing with Matthew Geczy and I think I can play a wonderful Mayura. I’m not trying to take anything away from Mylene, of course.” She said with a self-pitying laugh. “Mylene is amazing, but…” Lila bit her lip and her eyes pleaded with her teacher.

“But…?” Bustier prompted gently, believing every word.

The Italian girl sighed. “I’m...very sensitive to the thought of being presented as an akuma. I mean, I was akumatized on my very first day here, not a great first impression I know. I was akumatized again when Marinette got angry with me because she had the mistaken idea I was lying to the class. Yes, I have a lying disease. I’m not proud of the things I say sometimes. It makes me feel like they're making me the bad guy on purpose.”

  
  


Bustier was almost there. She was almost exactly where Lila wanted her. All she needed was one more final push and Lila would get her way again. “Mayura isn't an akuma and I think I might feel better playing her rather than an akuma.”

The woman was frowning thoughtfully and Lila could tell she was teetering on the edge. She gave the redhead a sad little smile and made herself look as pathetic as possible. “You could at least ask Mylene if we could switch parts, couldn’t you? It never hurts to ask, my  _ nonna  _ used to say. She worked with Sophia Loren. They even roomed together until she introduced my  _ nonna _ to my  _ nonno. _ ”

Mlle. Bustier sighed and the auburn haired girl knew she’d won. “All right. I’ll ask Mylene if she would be willing to swap roles. But!” Bustier interrupted before Lila could thank her. “I want Mylene to be your understudy in case you have any hearing issues or your arthritis acts up, all right?”

“Oh, thank you thank you  _ thank you _ , Mlle. Bustier!” Lila grabbed her teacher’s hand with both of hers and shook it in gratitude. “You won’t be sorry, I promise. I’ll be the best Mayura I can and make you proud!”

The teacher pulled her hand away, embarrassed at the enthusiastic show of gratitude. She felt a bit ashamed to take such a plum role away from Mylene; she was doing so well as Mayura. But poor Lila might only have this once chance to be a star, whereas Mylene would have several. It couldn’t hurt just this once.

The Italian girl left the classroom and waited until the hallway was clear to grin triumphantly. Mylene was a sentimental pushover and would easily be persuaded to step aside for poor brave Lila. She’d just given the performance of a lifetime to Bustier so starring as Mayura next to Adrien would be easy.

_ I always get what I want. You’re next, bel regazzo. _

  
  


_ ***** _

As predicted, Mylene kindly but reluctantly allowed Lila to take over her role as Mayura. Many in the class applauded the curvy girl’s generosity but not as many as LIla expected. Clearly she was losing control over the class.

She tried her usually effective crocodile tears. “I can’t thank you enough, Mylene. You’re so kind!” She took one of the shorter girl’s hands into hers and gazed into her eyes, trying to look sincere and grateful. “I promise to do the best job I can so you’ll be proud of me.”

Mylene slumped but she managed a weak smile and gently pulled away before going back to her seat. For some reason she remembered the hateful way the Italian had looked at Adrien and Marinette as they cuddled in their sleep aboard Star Train. She tried not to let the inner turmoil appear on her face. Lila didn’t miss the way Ivan glared at her, or Rose and Juleka’s distrustful expressions. Adrien just looked at her with cold, cruel anger. She’d deal with him later.

Chloe was displeased and let everyone know it. “Uh...excuse me, but I would have liked to have been informed about the cast change earlier, being the producer and bankrolling this whole production.” Her haughty eyes bore into the red haired teacher. “This throws the whole budget out of whack.”

Mlle. Bustier tried to placate the mayor’s daughter. “Surely you could just have Mylene’s costume adjusted to fit Lila, couldn’t you?”

The blonde twisted in her seat and looked from Lila to Mylene. Turning around she laughed in her teacher’s face. “You’re being ridiculous. Not only are not the same height, they’re not even the same body type. No. A whole new costume will have to be made for Rossi and I doubt I could ask Daddy for another advance. Mommy says I’m being too nice to everyone as it is. Looks like from now on everyone will have to make due with cold cuts and water bottles or just bring their own lunches.”

There was a collective groan from the class and nearly everyone glared at Lila.

She tried the tears route again. “I’m causing problems for everyone aren’t I? Maybe I should just shut up and be an akuma instead!”

The Italian looked at Mylene expectantly and the girl with multicolored braids sighed and told her. “It’s fine, Lila. Right, guys?”

The class muttered their agreement but clearly they were just saying it to be polite. They’d change their minds once they saw her onstage. She would be spectacular.

Lila leaned over and whispered to Adrien once the teacher’s back was turned. “I guess we’re starring in the play together now. Looking forward to working with you.”

The model didn’t say anything but leaned away before the auburn haired girl could touch him.

_ Not for long we’re not. _

*****

That day’s rehearsal was, in Adrien’s admittedly biased opinion, a complete disaster. Mylene was too disheartened to play a believable akuma and Lila was...well. Her acting style (if one could call it that) reminded him of Vincent; completely over the top. Unlike his photographer Lila didn’t have a tenth of Vincent’s talent or work ethic. She was borderline rude to the rest of the cast and demanded frequent breaks under the pretense that “her arthritis was bothering her”. She was ten times the diva Chloe had ever been but the blonde didn’t manipulate people into feeling sorry for her. Adrien could feel his teeth grinding together. He missed working with Mylene; her Mayura was deadpan and snarky and she was always professional.

The girl also wouldn’t stop touching him, even when he pulled away. Nino had to bellow “Cut!” and separate the two.

“Lila, what are you doing?” The normally easy-going DJ was becoming exasperated.

The Italian was all wide-eyed innocence. “But aren’t Mayura and Hawk Moth a couple? I wanted to show that with my acting.” She sidled up to Adrien again, who backed away.

Nino groaned and pulled his cap over his eyes. “No, Lila, they’re not. Not as far as anyone knows. Even if they are, that’s not what our play is about.” 

“But-” she tried to argue, “can’t we change the script?”

Rose approached her and looked almost ready to cry. “Don’t you like my writing, Lila?”

Lila hesitated, worried she’d look difficult in front of her class. “I just think it needs a little tweaking. A little nuance?”

“Lila,” Chloe was watching her phone while Sabrina painted her nails. “Actors don’t have script approval. It was in the agreement everyone signed, remember?”

Damn, she had to sign it to be in the play. “Well, I’m sure no one would really mind a few small changes…”

“Actually,” Markov spoke up, hovering beside Max. “Changes to the script are possible if ninety percent votes in favor of said change.”

Max looked over a physical copy of said agreement. “Confirmed,” he agreed.

Adrien shrugged. “Okay, let’s vote. All in favor of making Hawk Moth and Mayura a couple raise your hand.” Only Lila and Alya raised their hands. “All in favor of keeping Rose’s amazing script just the way it is?” Everyone, even Chloe, raised their hands. “Okay! We’re keeping the script as is. Lila, I’m going to have to ask you to back off a little from now on, please.”

He gave her his fake model smile and hers was just as false. She pretended to concede gracefully when all she really wanted to do was slap his perfect little face. That wouldn’t go over well, neither with the class, nor her employer.

Ah, yes. M. Agreste. It was high time she had another little talk with her employer about his son’s behavior.

*****

To say that Adrien Agreste went home in a bad mood would be vastly understating his current emotional state..

Lila had in less than a few weeks: gotten Marinette placed in another class, stolen Mylene’s role, and tried to change Rose’s script as an excuse to hang all over him.

There was a word that described his current emotional state perfectly, a word he learned from Nino.

_ Pissed. _

In England, the term meant “very drunk” but in America, where Stephen Basilberg lived, it meant “angry to the point of being enraged.” That was exactly how he felt at the moment.

He was slightly consoled that most of the class prevented her from getting her way this time but he was disappointed in Mlle. Bustier for allowing Lila to steal Mylene’s role for whatever bogus reason the Italian thought up  _ this _ time.

The model knew the situation was partly his fault for insisting on the high road. He mistakenly thought keeping silent and going easy on Lila would help her. He should never have given Marinette such awful advice. Even if he didn’t want to confront the girl and risk her becoming an akuma, he could have talked to his classmates and told them about the lies. He also could have talked Alya into taking down the video she had posted on the Ladyblog after witnessing Ladybug say Lila wasn’t her friend.

He enjoyed working with Mylene. She was sweet and sensitive and loved to help others. But when she was playing Mayura she was snarky and witty; he could easily see her as a put-upon supervillain sidekick. It was kind of fun making two people who seemed determined to make his life miserable suffer on stage.

He couldn’t change the past but he could make sure Lila wasn’t rewarded for his actions. He would talk to his father or Nathalie (who would consult with his father) and step down from the lead role. He wondered what excuse he could give his father to let him do so.

As it turned out, he didn’t have to.

When he came home from school, Nathalie was waiting for him just inside the door. She looked calm and stoic but her lips thinned into an disapproving line.

“Adrien,” she greeted him once the door was closed, “your father would like to speak with you.”

The boy didn’t even have to fake his shock. “Is everything all right?”

She turned towards his father’s office door rather than answer. “I think it would be better if your father told you himself.”

“Um, okay,” he answered and made his way to his father’s office. Nathalie accompanied him and shut the door behind her.

His father didn’t look up as he came in but did save what he was working on so he could give the discussion most of his attention. “Adrien.”

The blond ducked his head. “Father.”

“Your Chinese tutor called today. He informed me that your attention has been slipping slightly. Your piano teacher says that although your technique is excellent your playing has become somewhat mechanical.” Gabriel looked up and at his son, arctic eyes piercing. He tried not to notice how much his son resembled his beloved wife and tried to look stern. “Would you care to explain why?”

_ It was almost too easy.  _ Adrien sighed and tried to look exhausted. It was an easy feat. “Well, Father, it’s because of this group project my class is doing.”

Gabriel looked at his assistant then back to his son. “Nathalie mentioned this. She told me your class is doing an original play written by one of your classmates.”

The blond nodded. “Yes, Father. We’re doing a comedic play about Hawk Moth. I’m playing Hawk Moth and Lila is playing Mayura.”

Nathalie's expression changed to one of utter disgust when she heard Lila was playing the peacock-themed villain but the look was gone so quickly Adrien couldn’t be sure he saw it at all. When he looked at his father’s assistant out of the corner of his eye she had schooled her features back to their usual stoicism. Adrien was perplexed; did she have something against Lila, Mayura, or both?

The model decided to ignore what he thought he saw and continued on in the same exhausted tone. “We’ve been spending time making props and rehearsing lines and since Hawk Moth is the focus of the play it’s a big part. I don’t think I can do justice to the role  _ and  _ do my best in my extracurricular activities. I’m thinking of stepping down and letting someone else have my part while I take a lesser role. The project is twenty percent of our grade for the year but I don’t have to star in the play to get a good grade.”

Gabriel nodded his agreement. “I should say not.”

“Besides,” Adrien sighed, “I’m not completely comfortable starring in a play about the Villain of Paris.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, confused. “Elaborate.”

“Well…” his son began, “what if Hawk Moth hears about it and gets angry? What if he comes after me? Or you? Not only has he akumatized you, he’s had akumas who targeted you as well. I don’t want to think about what could happen to you, Father.”

Adrien didn’t even have to pretend to be scared. He had nightmares about what could happen to his father, Nathalie or the Gorilla if Hawk Moth found out who he really was and decided to take revenge on him through his loved ones.

What he said must have worked because his father managed what was for him a brief, reassuring smile. “You needn’t worry about our safety, Adrien. That’s why you have a bodyguard and home defenses. Nathalie will speak to your teacher about your stepping down. She should have no objections considering all of your activities benefit your future.”

The blond’s smile was relieved and genuine. “Thank you for understanding, Father. I’ll do my best to improve my Chinese and piano playing.”

Gabriel’s face was once again stern. “See that you do. You have an early morning photo shoot for the athleisure line. An all-male shoot, I think. The advertising department has discovered the “boy band” look is in again. We should capitalize on the trend while we can.”

“Of course, Father.”  _ No posing with Lila, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.  _ “I’m going to go practice my piano before my Chinese tutor arrives.”

The designer was already back at work. “See that you do.”

Adrien waited until he was safely in the privacy of his room before doing a little happy dance.

Plagg zipped out of his pocket. “Not bad, kid. You got your father on your side and thwarted that little pest, all in one fell swoop.”

The boy grinned. “Thanks, Plagg.”

_ He must be a better actor than he thought. _

  
  


_ ***** _

When Lila called her employer to whine about his son not cooperating with her on a class project she received a very unwelcome surprise. It turned out that Adrien had already discussed the assignment with him and they agreed that the play had been detrimental to his extracurricular activities.”

“But, M. Agreste-” she tried to argue but was coldly interrupted.

“Mlle. Rossi, you are my employee. It is your job to look out for my son’s best interests, not to question me. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Remember, your modelling career depends on staying in my good graces. Am I understood?”

Lila felt chilled by the man’s tone of voice. She had to tread carefully or all her plans could be ruined. Working for M. Agreste could mean great things for her future but not if she made him angry enough to fire her.

“I...I understand, sir. I’ll remember my place.”

“See that you do. Goodbye.”

He hung up and she cursed under her breath. Adrien’s little rebellion could ruin her plans. Perhaps she’d try a little subtlety.

*****

Lila didn’t get a chance to formulate any plans because as soon as she got home she had to start learning all of Mayura’s lines so no one would have an excuse to take away the part she had rightfully stolen... _ earned. _

She was tired and not at the top of her game when she got to school so she missed Marinette and her super happy lovely new class going off to their secret headquarters. She also got a bit of a shock when she arrived at the auditorium and Adrien wasn’t there.

“Oh, he had an early morning photoshoot,” Bustier told her when she asked.

Lila didn’t have to pretend to be surprised. “But...that’s impossible!” she insisted. “No one called and told me we had a photoshoot today.”

“Well, it’s not important, Lila. Just take your place. Kim is Adrien’s understudy so he’ll be glad to rehearse with you today.”

“But-” the Italian tried to argue and was just as successful with her teacher as she had been with her employer.

“What’s the matter, Rossi?” Chloe taunted. “Is the part too hard for you? Maybe you should give it back to Mylene.”

Lila gritted her teeth and gave her producer a sickeningly sweet smile. “Of course not, Chloe,” she simpered. “I’d just hate to start my new relationship with Adrien off on the wrong foot.”

She could swear she saw Chloe’s eye twitch when the blond said, “Relationship?”

“ _ Professional _ relationship,” Lila clarified, looking innocent. “But Hollywood is full of stories of actors who fell in love on set. History repeats itself, you know.”

“A relationship!” Chloe sputtered out as she began to laugh wholeheartedly, it was the type of laughter that none of the students in Mlle Bustier’s class had ever heard before. The laughter was sharp and vicious, clearly mocking the Italian. “Oh Sabrina, take a picture of her, I need it when I show Adrikins.” 

Dutifully the redhead got out Chloe’s phone and snapped a picture of Lila’s incredulous face, before the Italian got the message and schooled her face into shock and hurt. 

“Oh listen here, Rossi, I’m Adrien’s best friend.” Chloe began speaking with a bright smile. 

“Debatable.” Nino called out from his director's seat. “I’m clearly the best bro.” 

“I have entire albums of baby pictures of us two, and I know all his darkest secrets and can blackmail him for the rest of his life. Bite me, Lahiffe.” Chloe snapped back at Nino, going as far as sticking her tongue out to the capped boy. “As I was saying, as Adrien’s best friend, I know his type.” She thought about the time she caught him mooning over a picture of Ladybug and secretly applauded his good taste. “You are  _ not  _ it.” 

“Aren’t you also after Adrien too Chloe?” Alya asked with a frown, ready to defend her friend. 

“I haven’t met anyone who is worthy of  _ my  _ Adrien.”  _ Except maybe Ladybug _ . Chloe deadpanned with enough sass to let Lila know she was unworthy in the eyes of the mayor’s daughter. “Besides, this isn’t Hollywood. Adrikins has enough experience dealing with  _ social climbers _ to know how to conduct himself. Or did you guys become blind when you saw Adrikins pulling away from Rossi yesterday?” 

Chloe’s question was met with silence. No one could say anything that would contradict what the blonde heiress was saying. Which only made Chloe’s smile widen, and Lila hated Chloe Bourgeois a bit more than she did in the past. Nowhere near Mari-trash’s level of hatred. But the blonde knew just how to flaunt what she had, and unlike Lila, Chloe Bourgeois  _ did _ have connections, money, and status as a socialite that Lila didn’t have. For now. 

“I didn’t do it to make him uncomfortable, I was just trying to show Hawkmoth and Mayura’s relationship with my acting.” Lila said, tearing up with a well placed pinch. 

“Yeah, the non existent relationship, like the one you have with Adrikins now. I mean, I read the script. Rose didn’t do a bad job.” Chloe snarked with a giggle. 

“Guys, that’s two compliments for  _ two _ different people. Chloe Bourgeois complimented Marinette and now Rose!” Nino blurted out rushing over to Mylene. “Am I dreaming? Do I have a fever?”

“Not the point, Nino!” Chloe hissed with an embarrassed blush. Ladybug’s influence was clearly rubbing off on her, not that she would admit it out loud.“Kim, as Adrikins understudy your job is to be Hawk Moth. I am going to make a note to have  _ another _ costume made, in case Adrikins has to drop out. So I’ll get your measurements by the end of the day. Brina?” 

“Here you go.” Sabrina chirped, giving Chloe her phone back as the blond seemed to be typing something over on her phone with a smirk. 

“Well, Lila, it’ll be fun working with you.” Kim spoke up walking towards Lila while Nino was taking advantage of an embarrassed Chloe to antagonize her a bit more. Probably over Adrien’s friendship would be Kim’s best guess.

  
  


*****

It was after lunch before Adrien joined his class in the auditorium. Chloe tried to greet her oldest friend but was beaten to it by Lila. “Adrien,” she cooed as she tried to grab his arm, “you didn’t tell me you had a photoshoot this morning.”

“That’s because it was none of your business!” Adrien replied cheerfully. “It was an all-male group shoot, so we didn’t need you.”

He strolled past her and slung an arm around Chloe, who threw a look of triumph at the fuming girl over her shoulder.

“Can you help me round up the class, Chloe?” he asked his friend. “I have a quick announcement.”

*****

The class gathered quickly after they heard their friend and lead actor was back. The class chatted amongst themselves, wondering what he wanted to tell them.

Bustier clapped her hands to get her students’ attention. “Everyone! Adrien has an announcement to make.” Her voice sounded resigned but accepting.

“Guys, I’m sorry to do this, but I have to step down as lead actor,” Adrien told his friends. “I can still be in the play as a supporting role. Besides,” he looked at his understudy, “Kim knows my part just as well or even better than I do. He’d make a perfect Hawk Moth.”

“What?!” Lila gasped before she could stop herself. “Why?”

“It's taking up too much of my time and I’ve been letting other things slip.” He gave Nino an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, dude.”

Nino was disappointed but accepting. Besides, he had a feeling Adrien’s old man was behind this decision. “You gotta prioritize. Right, bro?”

“Right, my dude,” the two boys shared a fist bump.

Chloe just smirked, watching Lila fall into despair. The blonde hoped Adrien enjoyed the picture of Lila she’d sent him. She appreciated Adrien taking the time to text her the night before. She knew part of the reason was he was afraid of how she’d react in public after Lila took Mylene’s role and messed up Chloe’s carefully balanced budget. The blonde couldn’t help but be pleased her oldest friend trusted her with the information over his so-called “best bud”. 

Bustier was less than happy with this latest cast change but M. Agreste’s assistant had explained the situation to her, along with her employer’s expectations and there was nothing else the teacher could do. Besides, Lila acting was...rather outgoing compared to Mylene’s more subtle approach and Kim was very...flamboyant. The two new leads would compliment each other perfectly.

Meanwhile Lila was becoming more and more agitated at being repeatedly thwarted. She knew she could be in danger of being akumatized but she didn’t care. She could have accepted a butterfly right in front of Bustier’s face and the teacher would believe her if she claimed she did it to save anyone else from being akumatized. 

She waited but no little black butterfly appeared. Now even Hawk Moth was ignoring her.

Fine. Adrien didn’t want to be her villain? She could make do with Kim and the model would come crawling back when he saw what a success the play was. Everyone would.

After all, how good could Mari-brat’s little designs be?

*****

Meanwhile after a few hiccups beyond anyone’s control, Mendeliev’s class’ preparations for their fashion show were running with pristine efficiency. Vivienne and Brielle kept everyone organized and Bellamy made sure everyone, especially their designer, took regular breaks and ate healthy snacks.

Marinette and Bellamy took everyone’s measurements and then the noirette showed the class her completed designs based on the clothing they’d found at the flea market. Everyone oohed and aahed appropriately and then the hard work began.

Marinette did most of the complicated sewing with Bellamy’s help while Zayan did some basic stitching. Nearly everyone learned to use a seam ripper and took lessons from Zayan on how to shape worbla for the purses and turtle backpack. Everyone helped with trimming excess material or carefully removed sleeves and other excess material, all of which was carefully set aside for other projects.

The head designer and assistant designer took breaks to embroider and knit respectively so Alicia led a workshop on silk screening, to everyone’s surprise and delight. The quiet girl beamed with pride as she showed Curtis how to make a little fox pattern on a scrap piece of fabric.

The designer’s eyes sparkled with an idea. “You know, I think the backstage crew deserves special shirts of their own. We don’t have the time for complete outfits for everyone but what about some Hawaiian shirts silk-screened with different patterns? Maybe with the animals the Miraculous are based on?” She looked over her classmates. “Turtle for Bellamy. Snake for me. Fox for Bri. Bee for Marc. Maison would be a good fit for Pegasus.”

“Oh!” the boy exclaimed happily, “with little horseshoes and wings?”

“Exactly,” Marinette confirmed. “Alicia would rock as a tiger. She’s the Queen of Stealth.”

“Yeah, I am,” Alicia shrugged modestly.

“And...” she looked over at her teacher.

Mme. Mendeleiev was just as caught up in the excitement as everyone else. “What about me?” she asked.

Marinette thought about it. She couldn’t think of a Miraculous animal that fit her teacher, but she knew what would.

“The molecular formula for gold!” she exclaimed. She turned to her teacher. “What else would suit a scientist like you?”

“And you’re the gold standard as far as teachers are concerned,” Curtis piped up.

Mme. Mendeleiev didn’t say anything at first but everyone could tell she was touched. “Thank you. I quite agree.”

Everyone cheered but Alicia quickly brought them back to Earth. “I didn’t want to say anything earlier but me being quiet and stealthy helps me get around school without being noticed.” 

Everyone looked at her and she flushed from all the attention. “Anyway, I heard some rumors that one of the other classes...I’m not saying who...might decide to try to sabotage our show.”

“Probably Bustier’s,” Viv muttered under her breath.

“Class, let’s not add to the rumors, we have no proof,” Mendeleiev interrupted sharply.

“She’s right,” Brielle agreed and everyone slumped.

“That isn’t to say we won’t take sensible precautions to protect everyone’s work,” the teacher’s thin smile was a bit sly.

“Any ideas?” Viv asked the class.

Everyone thought about it. “I once made a box trap to keep my diary safe,” Marinette volunteered.

“I’m good with puzzles. I’ve beaten fifteen different escape rooms.” Brielle told the class.

“Hey, I’m pretty good at building things. If you ladies come up with a trap design I can make it for you.” Zayan said.

“That gives us a place to start,” Vivienne agreed. “We still have money in the budget for the Hawaiian shirts plus some extra. It wouldn’t be that expensive to buy a little security camera so we can catch whoever tries to mess with our stuff.”

“My dad works for a security firm at a department store. He told me they fill these anti-shoplifting tags with non-toxic but very staining ink. We could get something like that so if someone does spring the trap they get sprayed with ink and the camera would tell us who it was,” Maison added. “Hey, maybe add a few more traps if the first trap doesn’t stop them. Something that would hold them until we got there.”

“Okay. Project Ink Trap is a go,” Brielle decided.

“Great ideas, guys but let’s put off the trap making until tomorrow,” Bellamy decided. “We have a lot more work to do today. Ondine, let me teach you how to sew a hem.”

The tall swimmer walked over to the blond boy. “Happy to help!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. I've been here the whole time.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big night has finally arrived! The whole school wants to know which will be better, Bustier's play or Mendeleiev's fashion show. One way to find out!
> 
> There's only two teensy wrinkles to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Profanity warning.

**Chapter Nine: “I’ve been here the whole time.”**

The month before Presentation Week seemed to fly by; a flurry of activity for every student in the school. Minor meltdowns happened all over Francois Dupont but miraculously didn’t trigger any akuma because everyone was too exhausted. M. Fabron and M. D’Argencourt had started camping out in the gym to keep the other man from sabotaging the other’s project. Some said it was actually because they lacked the artistic talent Bustier or Harprele’s classes took for granted and thus had to finish props and backdrops themselves.

The week for group presentations came at last and the Drama and P.E. teachers presented their plays that Monday, one at five pm and the other at 8:30 pm so parents could attend if they wished. The two men had Principal Damocles flip a coin to determine who went first. D'Argencourt won. Fabron was enraged until one of his students wisely pointed out that  _ Hamlet  _ was a downer and the audience would need an emotional break from the fictional turmoil. The event was touted as a Battle of the Bard, Shakespeare vs Shakespeare but the reality was much more civil. Each class had gently strong armed their teacher, pointing out that only an uncultured swine would do anything to disrupt a production of the Bard. Both men were on their best behavior, determined  _ they _ would not be the one to upset their students. The real life tension added extra drama to the tragedy and thus the comedy that followed was even more appreciated. Everyone laughed themselves silly as Fabron himself played Bottom.

After the final curtain call both classes breathed a collective sigh of relief as their teachers shook hands as a show of good sportsmanship and correct public conduct. Both men were sure they’d won while their students were relieved the worst was over and no bail needed to be raised for either instructor.

Damocles had decided Mme. Mendeleiev and Mlle. Bustier would present on the last day, Friday. This came to no surprise to either class; the principal had a flair for a dramatic and instinctively knew which projects everyone would like to see. So to keep other students from skipping school after their own class projects were shown he would make them wait until the last day for the showdown everyone wanted to watch.

Caline Bustier was especially curious and worried about what Mme. Mendeleiev’s class would come up with. Despite their current difficulties she had a lot of respect for her colleague and missed the pig tailed girl more than she would admit, even to herself. A secret shameful part of her wanted Marinette’s fashion show to do badly and prove that she had been right to transfer her student. If it did well then Demeter’s teaching methods were better and the redhead was missing out on helping a talented young woman to succeed. 

Caline doubted the former would happen; Demeter had been incredibly tight-lipped but smug about her class’ progress on the group assignment.

“It’s going well,” the science teacher would say when asked. “Everyone is putting in the work required and I couldn’t be prouder of Vivienne and Brielle’s leadership. I’m sure you’ll agree once you see the results for yourself, Caline.”

The play started at three-thirty but seating for the event started at three. Each class was allowed a certain number of reserved seating for family and the rest were first come first serve. Although Mendeleiev’s class’ fashion show didn’t begin until six, they had to have all their outfits, accessories and any needed equipment in the auditorium before two-thirty.

Marinette was the expected bundle of nerves but Vivienne and Brielle made a checklist two days earlier and made sure everything was cleaned and packed the night before. Color-coded tags marked which piece went with which garment so nothing would be misplaced. The two blondes checked, double-checked, and even triple-checked at their designer’s insistence. Then before putting all the ensembles in the specially made “travel carts” all the models lined up and had their pictures taken by Theo for Marinette’s website. After getting several pictures of everyone in different poses, everything was neatly packed away Thursday night so all the class had to do Friday morning was wait for Theo and his co-workers at the delivery service he worked for to pick everything up.

In the meantime, Bellamy was giving everyone a crocheting lesson because it was relaxing and easier for beginners than knitting.

“So, did you learn how to crochet from your grandmother as well?” Kagami asked Bellamy.

“Yep,” he answered as he finished a row. “She taught me and my dad. She also quilts. She says it helps keep the joints in her hands moving. She and her friends like to quilt.”

“Well, we could take all of our leftover fabric and cut it into squares for her,” Curtis joked. “They wouldn’t have to buy material for months!”

“True and they could donate the quilts to the homeless or the firehouse where my dad works,” Bellamy said.

This was news to Marinette. “Your dad is a firefighter?” she asked.

The blond boy’s chest puffed up proudly. “Yes,  _ and  _ a paramedic,” he told her. “He told me once he met Ladybug and Chat Noir trying to help some girl with a horn growing on her head.”

The noirette stopped crocheting and looked over at her friend. “Auburn hair, green eyes, weird orange jacket?”

Kagami picked up on what the designer was saying. “That sounds exactly like Lila Rossi.”

“It was,” Marinette answered grimly, “I remember seeing it on the news.” She looked over at Kagami and gave her a supportive grin. “She was lucky Ladybug and Chat Noir were there. That akuma was amazing with a sword.” She winked at Kagami.

Kagami rolled her eyes. “Lila Rossi is an attention-seeking troublemaker.” She bit her lip. “But...I am the one to blame for losing my temper and falling for her tricks.”

“You aren’t the only one,” Marinette consoled the Japanese girl. “She’s been getting away with lying for a while now. Even my best friend believes her,” that hurt more than it should. “Confronting her directly could cause an akuma so now I just ignore her.”

Aurore shrugged. “Who cares? She’s been an akuma at least twice now. Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle her easily.”

“They shouldn’t have to ‘handle’ her,” Kagami shot back, “people should have a little more sense and force her to back up her claims with facts.”

“That would require critical thinking skills and I don’t think some people at our school are capable of that,” Maison avoided insulting Marinette’s friends directly but just barely. The pig tailed girl felt ashamed on their behalf but couldn’t argue; Maison had a point.

The group sighed and Zayan spoke up. “Why bother with her at all? Even confronting her gives her more attention than she deserves. She’ll just pretend to cry and make people feel sorry for her.”

Mireille was curious. “So, what would you suggest we do instead?”

“We could all become famous,” Ondine suggested with a laugh. When everyone looked at her she blinked back. “What, why not? The fashion show will be live streamed and if Alya Cesaire puts the footage on the Ladyblog thousands of people will see it. Then everyone will be so busy wanting interviews with us for the actual things we’ve done they’ll forget Faker Rossi in no time.”

Jean pointed at the swimmer. “I like the way you think,” he grinned. “I also like the idea of our entire class becoming famous and everyone ignores Rossi. Kind of like depriving a fire of fuel.”

“Very scientific, Jean,” Alicia brought everyone water bottles. “Mme. Mendeleiev would approve.”

“I’m not just another pretty face!” Jean preened.

Vivienne looked at her phone. “Well, it’s one o’clock now,” she said. “Theo said he’d be here by one-thirty so we should probably start wrapping up.” She looked at the squares everyone had crocheted. “I think we could make an afghan from what we’ve made today.

Everyone smiled and agreed.

*****

Preparations for their play were not going nearly as smoothly for Mlle. Bustier’s class. Costumes were not neatly put away, the props were misplaced and only half had been found. Chloe broke a nail and Mlle. Bustier had a migraine. The teacher told everyone to drop what they were doing and meditate, which helped. A bit.

As frantic as his teacher and classmates were, Adrien Agreste was an ocean of calm; soothing Nino’s worries about being a director, sending Sabrina to find some nail glue and keeping the cast and crew laughing and groaning at his science puns.

And where was the star of the play during her class’ jitters and meltdowns?

Sequestered in her dressing room.

Lila had commandeered the backstage handicap restroom to be her private dressing room, convincing Bustier she needed silence and calm to prevent performance stress. The redhead had generously if foolishly complied and the Italian hadn’t had to do any of the pre-show prep. All she had to do is glide onto the stage and give a performance that would secure her place as queen of the school. All of those snobby brats in Mendeleiev’s class would bow down to her. Adrien would be forced to acknowledge her superiority and Mari-brat would finally be forgotten.

She was so immersed in her dreams of fame she nearly missed the conversation going on outside.

“Oh my gosh! Marinette’s first fashion show! She must be so nervous and excited!”

“Um, yeah. More excited than nervous. She’s had her work on the runway before.”

Lila recognized those voices. It was squeaky Rose and mumbling Juleka. What they were saying made no sense. When had Dupain-Cheng had her work featured on a runway?

“Oh, that was just a hat, silly! This is a whole show featuring her designs. Imagine...after tonight she could be famous all over Paris. Not just Jagged Stone but Clara Nightingale and maybe even XY will ask her to design for them. Everyone who’s anyone will want a Marinette original.”

“Yeah. Who could blame them? Even Adrien’s dad and Chloe’s mom thinks her designs are great and they’re the toughest fashion critics around.”

“Do you think she’ll still want to hang out with us and have sleepovers once she's famous?”

“Rose, it’s Marinette. Of course she will. She wouldn’t forget us.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Juleka. Besides, Kitty Section is about to hit it big!”

“Maybe she’ll hire us to write music for her next fashion show.”

“Oooh, yes! Oh wait, is that what time it is? We should be getting ready for the play.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Lila couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Agreste and Bourgeois had both praised that brat’s work? She’d designed for Jagged? Ugh! Why hadn’t she researched anyone besides Adrien before transferring to Francois Dupont? Maybe she should have become the noirette’s bestie instead of investing so much time and effort on the model.

She had all but made up her mind to swallow her pride and grovel for the pig tailed girl’s forgiveness when she overheard another conversation.

“Okay, the clothes are in the rehearsal room. Has everything been checked?”

“Three times. Don’t worry, everything’s here and accounted for, Marinette. Don’t worry, nothing is going to go wrong.”

“Famous last words. I think Viv looks a little pale today. Do you think she needs some water? I’ll get her some water.”

“I thought I was supposed to be the Mom Friend, not you. Come on, we’ll do a quick equipment check and make sure Maison has all the music ready and waiting to be cued up. Would that make you feel better?”

“...it might.”

The Italian girl allowed an ominous smirk to stretch and curl her lips. Nothing was going to go wrong? Well, that sounded like a challenge.

*****

Lila took advantage of everyone’s distraction to slip quietly into the rehearsal room. How careless, someone had left some scissors laying on a table. She would put those to good use. 

The Italian girl thought of just stealing the clothes but wasn’t sure she could hide them before her play started. She definitely wanted to be on time for that; it was time for her fame to grow beyond Francois Dupont and reliably gullible Alya was going to help her with that. Even she knew a model’s career was usually very short. Also, if she became famous on her own she wouldn’t have to worry about staying in M. Agreste’s good graces. The man wouldn’t be fooled by her forever and if she couldn’t have his son she’d find a himbo of her own.

The outfits must be in the large rolling crates in the middle of the room. Perfect. She’d cut up the clothes as much as she could so Little Miss Wonderful couldn’t repair them in time for her show. Poor Mari-brat would have a nervous breakdown in front of the whole school. Maybe she’d be akumatized in front of everyone too. That would be hilarious.

She reached for the latch on the door when she heard a voice behind her say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Lila jumped and whirled around. Sitting in a chair near the door was a girl with long dark violet hair, wearing a pink shirt, black skirt and matching leggings. She looked up from her phone and gave the Italian a disinterested look.

“You’ve been spying on me!” Lila accused the other girl. She didn’t even have to feign being angry and surprised. “You snuck up on me! What are  _ you _ doing here?!”

Alicia raised an eyebrow at the fox-faced girl. “You’re kidding, right? I’ve been here the whole time. In fact I waved at you when you came in. It’s not my fault you were so busy being sneaky you didn’t see me.”

Alicia crossed her legs and looked at Lila. “As for what I’m doing here, I’m guarding the outfits for my class’ show.” She jerked her thumb in the direction of the entrance. “If you’d been paying attention you would have noticed the sign on the door reading “Mendeleiev’s class only. No trespassing.’”

_ Well, hell. Mendeleiev’s students really were smarter than Bustier’s.  _ Lila gave the other girl a warm smile and tried again. “I’m sorry! You startled me and I was a little rude. I’m Lila Rossi and I used to be in class with Marinette before she was moved to Mme. Mendeleiev’s. We’ve all been wondering what kinds of amazing designs she came up with for this show, so I got a little curious. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if a friend had a peek.”

Lila thought she sounded sincere and innocent but Alicia snickered at her. “Marinette’s  _ friends  _ would respect her privacy and allow themselves to be surprised and amazed at her creations with the rest of the school.” The dark haired girl stood up but didn’t approach. Lila was shocked to see how much taller than her the other girl was.

Alicia's expression was neutral but her eyes glared at Lila. “And I know you’re not Marinette’s friend, any more than you are Ladybug’s.”

Lila grimaced at the mention of the  _ other _ girl she couldn’t stand. “Look. I have twenty euros on me. I’ll give it to you if you leave this room for ten minutes and let me look at Marinette’s designs.”

Alicia just laughed again. “You’re trying to bribe me and you’re only offering twenty euros? Please. This show is twenty percent of my grade. You honestly think I’m going to risk failing for you?”

“I could introduce you to Jagged Stone-” Lila began but was cut off.

“So could Marinette. So could Aurore or Mireille for that matter. You don’t have anything I want, Rossi, so knock it off and leave. Besides,” Alicia looked amused, “you shouldn’t open that latch.”

The Italian girl was becoming bored by the conversation. Her sense of self-preservation told her to drop it and get ready for the play so she could upstage Marinette. She could give such a great performance it would be impossible for the other class to impress the audience with some shoddily made clothes. Unfortunately the petty vindictive side was in control and she wanted to ruin the competition.

“Oh, please. What are you going to do if I open this?” She put her hand on the latch but the violet haired girl didn’t do anything to stop her. Lila smirked. “Nothing. I thought so. If you tried to stop me I’d just tell everyone you attacked me. It would be your word against mine and between you and me,  _ I’m _ the better actress.”

The auburn haired girl was feeling very confident as she pulled up the latch and gave the other girl one more look over her shoulder.

Alicia just shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Lila ignored her and turned back towards the crate, opening the door and peering inside. As she did so red ink squirted onto her face, neck and clothes. She screamed and shut her eyes before she could be blinded.

“Oh, please. I warned you. The ink is non-toxic but very staining,” Alicia explained.

“You little bitch! You set me up!” Lila screeched and tried to attack the other girl.

Alicia sidestepped her attack and Judo flipped the stained girl onto her back.

“You didn’t let me finish,” Alicia told Lila. She pointed up at a drone hovering near the ceiling. “Everything you just said and did was on camera. Also we figured someone like you would try to sabotage us so we made preparations to protect our project. That little ink trap? That was only the first layer of protection. I won’t tell you how many more traps we have. Suffice to say you won’t be messing up Marinette’s clothes. In fact,” she looked Lila up and down. “I’d be leaving if I were you. Someone else might see what you’ve been doing and they might not be as nice as I am.”

Lila screamed with rage. She wasn’t expecting multiple booby traps  _ or _ a human guard dog. She wanted to yell that she’d get the busybody back for this but she had to run. She couldn’t risk anyone seeing her like this so she decided to make a run for it. She’d just tell her mom an akuma did it and make some excuse for her class.

They’d believe anything.

*****

“Well, glad we got that little bout of drama out of the way,” Alicia told herself. She was glad she had the forethought to cover the area around the crates with newspaper so the ink, if triggered, wouldn’t stain the floor.

Her class thought it was overkill to have a camera drone help her guard the outfits but now she was glad she had. Now she had that little liar on film and it would be hard for Rossi to talk her way out of the mess she’d made. Alicia had also been filming on her phone just in case. Now she had both audio  _ and _ video.

Satisfied she cleaned up the mess, added more newspaper and left the room to let Bellamy know what had just happened. She chuckled when she looked at the smaller print on the sign Aurore had made; “premises under video surveillance.” Rossi couldn’t even say she hadn’t been warned.

As she locked the room behind her she heard muffled sounds coming from a supply closet. Was Rossi having a good cry before running to whine about her to the principal? Well, Mme. Mendeleiev had already told Damocles their plan and he’d approved it, so the Italian menace had no one to blame but herself.

Alice slowly and quietly turned the knob, wondering if she should take out her phone and take a picture of Rossi’s distress.

After the door was open she was very glad she hadn’t.

Fabron and M. D’Argencourt lay tangled together, holding each other in a passionate embrace. The two men were kissing each other passionately and moaning.

“ _ Mon cher _ Jacques-Louis, I am so sorry!” Fabron was saying.

“ _ Mon coeur _ , think nothing of it,” D’Argencourt replied. “We have both been fools, to have ignored this fire between us for so long!”

“You’re wonderful.”

“I adore you!”

Wide-eyed, Alicia ever so quietly slipped away. She was glad the two men had finally confessed their feelings for each other. She just wished she hadn’t been the one to find them.

“I am too ace for this. I am too ace for this,” she muttered to herself as she went to find Bellamy.

_ Huh. Both men looked like they were crying. I wonder if that means the bet is forfeit? _

_ ***** _

Bustier’s class had gone from barely controlled chaos to a complete meltdown, specifically the teacher herself. The woman locked herself in a closet and had a good cry, leaving the group of teenagers to flounder on their own.

It all started when Rose went to check on Lila. She saw the Italian girl’s impromptu dressing room was empty and rushed to find someone, anyone to help her.

She found Adrien, Nino and Alya chatting together with Juleka. “I can’t find Lila anywhere!” she exclaimed.

“When’s the last time you saw her?” Alya, ever the reporter wanted to know.

“I brought her a snack about thirty minutes ago,” Rose recalled, “but no one’s seen her since.”

“No one?” Nino asked.

“I even asked some of the kids from Mendeleiev’s class but they said they were too busy getting ready for their own show to notice anything else.” Rose said.

Adrien sighed and tried his best not to say “I told you so”. He didn’t want to be right but he was sure once he heard the cast change announcement that Lila would sabotage herself. Unfortunately she could take the rest of the class down with her. And all their grades. He wanted to bang his head against a wall. This was his fault; he never should have let the Italian get away with anything. He didn’t have to confront the girl but he should have told his class and his teacher the truth and let them decide for themselves how to treat Lila.

Then Marinette would still be in class with them…

He was grateful he and Marinette were still friends and now she and Kagami were getting along as well. She’d lost her stutter around him and he was glad because that meant they could become even better friends.

But he missed seeing how excited she got when someone had an idea. He enjoyed watching the way she glowed when she had a new design idea. He also missed how she and Alya would giggle and gossip behind him, unaware that he could hear them.

He pulled himself out of his own mind when he heard Alya’s text alert chime.

“Hey, Alya,” he heard the ombre haired girl read out loud, “they must have cleaned that bathroom with artificial chemicals or something because a rash broke out on my face and hands. That, or my old stage fright came back again. I’m sure I just need a few days to recover and I’ll be fine. Sorry for ruining the play. Lila.”

“Great, wonderful, fantastic!” Nino collapsed into the nearest chair and hid his face in both hands. “The play starts in half an hour and we have no lead actress? Two months of hard work  _ and  _ our grade for the year is ruined!”

His tirade was interrupted by a sarcastic, familiar laugh. “Oh, please. Our play isn’t ruined, Lahiffe. Who needs Lila anyway? Mylene is at least twenty times the actress Rossi is and she’s easier to get along with.”

Chloe and Sabrina stood there with Mylene standing between them. She looked a little shell-shocked until Ivan gently pulled her away from the “twosome of terror” and held her in his arms.

“Chloe?” Adrien blinked at his oldest friend, “what are you-?”

The blonde preened. “I may not be able to be Queen Bee again, but there are other ways of being a hero. Saving this play is one of them.” She looked over at the curvy girl. “I had Sabrina pack Mylene’s just in case Rossi had a diva moment and wow, close enough. Juleka is standing by to get you into makeup and wardrobe. Today’s your lucky day, Harprele.”

Chloe was smiling benevolently like some patron saint in Gucci but her classmates were confused.

“Mark the date,” Nino stage whispered to Alya, “Chloe said something nice to Mylene. This is becoming a trend.”

“But I…” Mylene stared at Ivan who smiled gently at her.

“You know this part backwards and forwards. You remember all your cues and you’re comfortable in front of an audience,” Ivan’s voice was gentle and supportive. “Trust me, you’ve got this.”

“Mylene! Mylene!” Sabrina began to chant and the rest of the class joined in. The red haired girl whisked her schoolmate off to hair and makeup and into her costume.

Chloe looked at the look of surprise and everyone’s faces and huffed. “Well, you don’t all have to thank me at once.”

“Thank you, Chloe,” Adrien strode forward and gave the girl a hug. She stiffened for a moment in surprise then hugged him back.

“Yeah. Thanks, du...I mean, Chloe,” Nino added his gratitude.

“I think Ladybug would be proud of you if she could see you right now.” Alya grinned at the blonde. At times like this she could see why Adrien still liked her.

Chloe blushed and flicked her hair. “Yeah, well, don’t mention it.” She shocked the reporter by giving her a small but genuine smile. “Unless you just wanna brag about me.”

*****

With the original Mayura now in place, the play started on time. Although Kim and Mylene hadn’t rehearsed together they fell into an easy rhythm because they’d known each other for so long.

“Dear Diary,” Mylene was pretending to write as she spoke aloud to the audience. “My employer has tried and failed to get magical jewelry from two children. This has happened at least three times a week for the past year and a half. I’m considering a career change.”

“Mayura!” an openly weeping Hawk Moth ran up to his assistant. In his hands were several paper mache butterflies created by Nathaniel and Alix. “Michel, Pierre, Claudine and Sherenne are dead!”

The very put-on villainess closed her diary with a snap and looked up at her employer. “Hawky, why do you insist on naming those things? You know they only live for a month in their adult form. Why do you insist on getting attached?”

“Because I’m sensitive!” Hawk Moth sobbed, holding the dead “butterflies” close to his chest. “And I hate it when you call me Hawky!”

The two actors were silent for a bit before Mayura asked Hawk Moth. “Would some hot chocolate with little marshmallows help?”

“Well,” he sniffled, “it might.”

The blue skinned woman escorted her boss off-stage to a smattering of applause as the curtains closed and Adrien, Ivan, and Alya set the props for the next scene.

“Sir, all of Paris is now frozen. Surely Frozer will...are you juggling during an akuma battle?”

“Would it kill you to be a little more supportive of my hobbies?! I have a life outside creating akumas and causing chaos, you know!”

“A life outside of akumas? Where can I get one of those?”

The audience was quiet at first, shocked that anyone would portray the Villain of Paris as a bumbling failure. By the end of the first act they were all laughing and cheering. A few brave souls even booed when Hawk Moth started monologuing. They stopped when Kim mock-glared at them but continued to boo, if a bit quieter.

Adrien and Sabrina were very funny as akuma. Both played original creations of Rose; Picture Perfect and Miss Behaving. One was an image obsessed model who was rejected for a date and the other was a good girl gone bad. Both played their parts with all the spectacle they could; back talking Hawk Moth and making him scream in frustration when they wanted to stop fighting long enough to take selfies for Instagram or pretend to hit on people in the first row.

“They like my play!” Rose giggled to Juleka.

The tall Goth just slung an arm around her petite girlfriend. “How could they not? You’re one of the most talented people I know. This play is hilarious.”

Rose kissed Juleka’s cheek then said, “Remind me to write a song for Marinette.”

“Totally.”

*****

Meanwhile a “Zone of Chill”, as Bellamy called it, surrounded the pupils in Mme. Mendeleiev’s class. Kagami and Marc sat with Marinette to ensure the designer didn’t panic. Kagami told her amusing stories about past fencing competitions while Marc shared ideas for an original story he was working on. Marinette smiled when she recognized characters like “The Crimson Paladin” and “The Cavalier of Justice”. They were very familiar.

The backstage crew wore themed silk screened Hawaiian shirts Marinette had made for them so they wouldn’t feel left out. Bellamy wore the turtle, Brielle the fox, Marc the bee, Maison had a winged horse pattern and Alicia wore tigers. Marinette made a cute little snake themed shirt for herself and Viv liked it so much she wanted one just like it.

Bellamy was giving Vivienne a shoulder massage and speaking to her in low, soothing tones. The class rep had made the mistake of looking out to see how many people came to see the play and went from her usual calm to nearly having a panic attack.

“But you’ve done gymnastic competitions for years,” Bellamy told the nervous blonde. “I thought you’d be used to large crowds by now, Viv.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been training for years in gymnastics, Bell,” she whispered back. “I know what to expect, I’m confident in my abilities and know what the audience expects. Plus if I do badly I only have to worry about my coach being disappointed in me. I have to see those people five days a week at school. If I screw up, they’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Bellamy glanced over at his classmates, satisfied that no one had heard his conversation with the class rep. He lowered his voice even more. “I don’t want you pressuring yourself to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe we can talk Brielle into modeling, or just leave off the Multimouse outfit entirely.”

Vivienne looked relieved, then glanced in the noirette’s direction. “I’d hate to disappoint Marinette. She’s worked so hard and was so excited to create all these designs.” She sighed and looked at Bellamy. “She deserves to have all of her work on the runway.”

The blond boy smiled at her and she realized she’d never picked up on just how good looking her “Mom Friend” was when he beamed like that. “That she does, but she’d never want her designs showcased at someone else’s expense. I’m sure she would understand and support you.” He gently moved a strand of hair out of her face. “I could break the news to her if you like.”

Vivienne shook her head and the boy tried not to notice how her hair gleamed when light hit it. “No. It’s my problem and I should have the guts to tell her myself,” she gave her friend a hopeful smile. “She’ll understand.”

Bellamy nodded. “Of course.”

*****

As predicted, Marinette was very understanding of Vivienne’s stage fright. “You shouldn’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, even for a friend.”

The designer winced as she thought of all the times she’d let Alya convince her to make a fool of herself to get Adrien’s attention. They were almost as bad as all the plans  _ she’d _ made up. Learning to say no was a good thing, as was stepping back and reevaluating her feelings.

“Couldn’t we alter it to fit Brielle?”

“Ooh, yes!” cheered Jean.

“Ah, no,” countered Brielle. She looked at Marinette. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful dress and if I’d wear it on a date, if I had one. But,” she cut off whatever smart remark Jean was about to say, “I’m not a model and I don’t want to be one.”

“Couldn’t we alter it to fit one of the other girls if we wanted to?” Maison asked.

Zayan thought about it. “Perhaps but we’d have precious little time before the show to teach one of them the routine Viv and Mari came up with for the outfit.”

“We could leave it out of the show,” Marinette tried not to think of the dress that had looked so amazing on Viv being left behind. “It’s fine.”

Viv thought of the beautiful gray, black and pink dress her friend created. It was a show stopping outfit and deserved to close out the fashion show. However, when she thought of strutting on the runway in front of the entire school she felt nauseous. Her eyes alighted onto Marinette. The color scheme would look so cute on her.

“Marinette, why don’t you wear it?” Vivienne asked before she could stop herself.

The noirette shook her head. “No way! I’m no model! I don’t have the poise and grace of Mireille and Aurore. I don’t even have the athleticism of Ondine, Kagami, or you! I’d probably klutz out on the runway and fall on my face in front of everyone. I’d be a laughing stock and ruin the show.”

“You’ve been a lot less klutzy lately,” Kagami pointed out.

Marinette blinked. “Well, yeah,” she agreed reluctantly, “but that’s because I’ve been practicing Viv’s routine with her and you and I have been sparring so…”

“Music and martial arts are known for helping with balance and coordination.” Kagami wouldn’t let her new... _ best friend  _ talk badly about herself. She smiled at her friend, almond eyes warm. “You don’t hesitate as much as you used to, Marinette.”

The noirette smiled timidly but with hope. “Really?”

Everyone nodded but Bellamy was quick to add, “Like we said earlier, if you feel uncomfortable, we can leave the dress out. It’s not going anywhere and you can always feature it in another show.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “You really think I’ll have another show?”

He gave his youngest baby a hug. “I’ve seen your work, we all have. This is only one of many. You will be successful and amazing. Trust me.”

The noirette hugged him back, eyes wet with grateful tears. “You’re all so kind.”

Jean laughed. “Kind, nothing. We’re smart and we know good things when we see them.”

The girl almost argued with him when Maison intervened. “Mme. Mendeleiev is wearing the shirt you made her tonight. If that doesn’t convince you your designs are amazing, I don’t know what will.”

Curtis bounded into the room. “You guys told me to let you know when Bustier’s class reaches their intermission. Well...it just did. We need to start getting into wardrobe, hair and makeup. Let’s go!”

Everyone got to their feet and Vivienne looked at Bellamy. “Can you alter the Multimouse dress in time?”

He nodded “Sure, as long as Marinette brought her sewing kit.”

The designer gave him a double thumbs up. “Always do!”

“Well then,” Vivienne clapped her hands together. “Everyone get ready. Marinette, Bellamy probably needs your measurements. Maison, get the music cued up. I need all my models to hair and makeup. We have only four dressing rooms so I hope you don’t mind sharing. Then I need Maison to help the boys dress while Brielle helps the girls. Jean, I hope you’re prepared to wow them.”

Jean mimed tugging on a hat brim. “Always.”

“Then I think we’re good.” She glanced at Bellamy. “Do you have time to alter the dress properly?”

He looked at Marinette and the two nodded at the class rep. “Sure thing. You should see my ladder stitch!”

Viv just blinked at him. “I have no idea what that means but I’m assuming you do.” She put her hand out and everyone mimicked her, overlaying their hands on top of their classmates’.”

“Go Team Mendeleiev!” they shouted together and dispersed.

Vivienne’s phone buzzed and she pulled it out. Huh. She wondered what Alicia needed.

*****

“The Very Secret Diary of Mayura, Hawk Moth’s Unfortunate Lackey” ended with a standing ovation that lasted for five minutes. Mylene and Kim graciously took their bows before inviting the entire cast and crew on-stage to accept their well-earned applause. Bustier’s class waved to the audience then made their way backstage to change.

“Oh, hey! Mlle. Bustier!” Alix was the first person to spot their teacher emerging from her closet hideaway.

“Oh. Hello,” the redhead’s eyes were bloodshot and watery. “I’m so sorry I missed the play. I just…”

Adrien wanted to be angry at his teacher. She abandoned them during a crisis because she couldn’t deal with it and prioritized her own emotional well-being over her students. He glared at her but she didn’t see it. She wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, even when they asked what was wrong.

Everyone looked at their teacher, who just looked at the floor. No one seemed to know what to do or say. They thought of her as calm and wise; she was an adult. She was the one who was supposed to know what to do when everything went wrong.

She began to cry quietly and suddenly Adrien felt a tiny bit guilty for thinking the worst of her. She couldn’t be more than twelve years older than her students and probably wasn’t very experienced. Mlle. Bustier was just as in over her head as the rest of the class when things went wrong. He felt his anger turn to pity; she was a nice, caring teacher but not necessarily a good one. It was her incompetence that led to most of the problems over the past few months and that just bred bad results. 

But he could afford to be a little charitable; the play hadn’t been a disaster, thanks in part to Chloe. He didn’t think he’d be as forgiving if it  _ had _ been and his teacher’s absence had caused an akuma.

The model leaned in and put what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Everyone needs help sometimes, no matter how strong they are. We forget that teachers are people and they’re imperfect too. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed sometimes. Aren’t you the one who’s always telling us it’s okay to ask for help when we’re stressed out?”

He smiled at her and suddenly Bustier began to sob loudly. She had leaned on Marinette so heavily to lead the class she didn’t know what to do without her. She was glad her class thought it was stress and overwork and once again felt guilty for what she’d done two months ago. Marinette hadn’t failed,  _ she _ had.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried, wiping her face on her sleeve. “I should have been here for you! I just felt pressured because I wanted to do well and show everyone how talented you all are! But I’ve never done a group project like this. I’m sorry for failing you.”

“Admitting one’s failure is the first step in rectifying it,” Max told her. “It is impossible to control all variables and we know you did your best.”

“Thank you, Max,” the teacher sniffled. She cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. “So...how did it go? I bet the audience loved the play.”

No one wanted to be the first to tell her the play had almost been a disaster, especially considering her fragile emotional state.

Chloe’s strident voice broke the silence. “Uh, Lila had an allergic reaction to bleach or something and broke out in hives. Fortunately, Mylene was here and did a better job than Rossi could ever dream of. The audience loved her and Kim so much they stood and clapped for them for five minutes.” The blonde took a breath and her voice became kinder. “So don’t worry, Mlle. Bustier, we got this.” She smiled at her teacher. “We looked out for each other, solved our problem, and everything turned out just fine. Exactly like you taught us.”

Bustier rewarded her most difficult student and a hug. “Yes. Exactly like I taught you. I’m very proud of you all.”

The students came together in a group hug and Bustier was proud of Chloe’s unusual show of maturity. “Now, let’s get changed and cleaned up and cheer on Marinette and the rest of Mme. Mendeleiev’s class during their fashion show.”

****

To no one’s surprise the fashion show started five minutes early and aside from a little model switch no other emergencies occurred. The music was ready to go and Brielle made sure everyone had their correct accessories while Alicia took care of hair and makeup.

Most of the models were lined up and ready to go; the last model just needed a bit of tweaking to her outfit and a pep talk. Perhaps some chamomile tea.

Most of the people who came for Bustier’s class’ play stayed for the fashion show. There was some doubt as to whether or not the science teacher’s class could match or exceed a comedy about Hawk Moth and Mayura. Many bets were taken and more than one teacher secretly hoped Mendeleiev’s students would top Bustier’s.

The literature teacher had just made herself comfortable with her students when the science teacher sidled up to her younger colleague.

“Good evening, Caline.”

“Demeter!” the redhead tried to smile at the older woman but she just looked ill. “I’m looking forward to seeing what your class has come up with.”

“You’re looking forward to seeing what  _ Marinette _ has come up with, you mean.” Mendeleiev corrected. She looked over Bustier’s students. “I enjoyed your play.” She looked over her glasses at Rose. “Your work, Mlle. Lavilant?”

“Yes, madame,” Rose squeaked, “thank you!”

“Yes, you all did well,” the science teacher looked everyone in the eye and they stood a little taller at her rare praise. She looked back at her colleague. “You must be very proud of what your class has accomplished.”

“Oh, yes! Very,” Bustier hoped she looked confident. She tried to change the subject and looked Mendeleiev up and down. “I love your blouse, Demeter. I’ve never seen you wear anything like it.”

The science teacher looked down at herself. “Yes, well. Marinette made it for me. She made everyone who couldn’t or didn’t want to model, a unique shirt to show we’re all part of the same crew.” She held out part of the shirt so Bustier could get a better look. “My pattern is the gold molecule but everyone’s is different. Creative girl, that Marinette.”

“I think Au suits you, Mme. Mendeleiev,” Adrien said. His respect for the young designer’s talent grew every time he saw her newest design.

The purple haired woman gave him a thin smile. “If you’re impressed by my shirt just wait until you see the rest of the show. My class has done very well in the past two months, but I am hardly unbiased.” She turned away and said over her shoulder, “I’ll talk to you later, Caline. Congratulations again, students.”

“Thank you!” they waved goodbye to her and settled into their seats.

Adrien smirked as he heard Alya whisper to Nino, “Lila is gonna be so sorry she missed this!”

*****

Jean strutted on to the stage after whispering in Principal Damocles’ ear. The stocky man motioned to the teacher to take a stack of papers from a nearby table and distribute them to their class. Marc cued up the lights.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary friends, welcome to the Triple-R Fashion show! Tonight we are privileged to witness the world debut of the future Princess of Fashion, Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain-Chang!”

Jean was resplendent in his faux snakeskin motorcycle jacket with matching trim on his pants and hat and drew a few cheer and wolf whistles from the audience. He made a slow circle so everyone could appreciate his ensemble. Snakeskin patterned makeup accentuated his eyes and he wore teal colored lipstick lent to him by Brielle. He had no idea Brielle even owned lipstick.

“I am, as always, your shy and demure host, Monsieur Jean Duparc. However, for one night only, you may address me as The Man of Teal, Master of Ceremonies Extraordinaire!”

The aspiring magician paused to let the audience applaud and after they settled down he continued. He was enjoying himself and grateful Viv had given him the chance to show off and be himself.

" This Triple R Fashion show can only be showcased by our class, a class who collectively can be considered a Triple Threat: Talent, Resourcefulness, and Teamwork! Now for each outfit we have a cute note that can help you all follow along with our initial ideas and work right up to the finished product."

There was a loud rustling of paper as everyone in the audience dutifully looked at the handouts they’d been given, a small blurb describing how each outfit was made and what it had been made from. There were oohs and aahs as most of the assembled were suitably impressed.

“And now that I’ve piqued your interest and you’ve read up on our lovely clothing line, I’d like to give you all a little background on what you’re going to witness tonight.”

Backstage Brielle watching her classmate mesmerize the crowd. So far everything was going well but she wouldn’t relax until the show was over. Anything could still go wrong but she trusted Jean’s ability to improvise. He was pretty creative and if he ever decided to give up magic he’d have a long and successful career as an actor. She imagined the curly haired boy playing Hawk Moth and laughed under her breath.

“Don’t you think he’s a bit over the top?” Maison whispered to her.

The deputy class rep shook her head and whispered. “Please. If anything he’s subdued right now. He’s probably saving the old ‘razzle dazzle’, as the Americans call it for the clothes themselves.”

“Now, for those of you who may not know us,” Jean was saying, “we are the homeroom students of the brilliant and amazingly patient”, the woman herself smirked and crossed her arms as the other teacher laughed around her, “Mme. Demeter Mendeleiev. So, with a scientist as our homeroom teacher, we thought it would add a little something extra to our show to incorporate a little science, but in a fun way.”

Those who had had Mme. Mendeleiev groaned in disbelief. They were expecting student made clothes, not a lesson.

Jean went on as if he hadn’t heard them, even though it annoyed him when people didn’t understand his instructor. “And any of my peers on the fencing team can tell you I am  _ all abou _ t being extra.” Said fencing team laughed and cheered.

He waited for the audience to quiet down before going on. “There are all sorts of fields of science out there but the one our show is based on is Ecology.  The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Specifically, global ecology and environmentalism; how we can reduce our carbon footprint and help the planet.” Mylene and her “Save the Earth” club perked up.

“So, I’m sure what you must be asking yourself is, ‘What does fashion have to do with any of this?’ It’s a good question and if you haven’t asked yourself that, you should,” Jean told the crowd.

“Think of all the old clothes we throw out instead of donating. Think of outfits we bought and never wore. What happens to them? They end up in a landfill. Natural fabrics eventually biodegrade but synthetics made from petroleum stay on the planet for hundreds if not thousands of years. That’s bad and everyone knows it.” The crowd nodded along with him.

“And hey, who likes looking good? Who likes cool new clothes?” He looked at the audience and pointed in a vague direction. “Mme. Bienvenue, get your hand up. We all know what a fashionista you are!!” The crowd laughed at the good-natured ribbing and there were a few “woo’s” near the teacher.

M. Harprele leaned over to Mme. Mendeleiev. “Jean’s a good entertainer. He’s the perfect choice to host. He’s making the subject interesting and accessible.”

The science teacher was very proud of her student. She was glad to see his inherent enthusiasm properly channeled. “I’m glad you think so, Fred.”

“Well, what if I told you there was a way to make your old clothes fashionable again so you can save money?” Jean grinned as he heard the collective “huh?” of the assembled. “And by doing so, you could help keep good clothes out of landfills and make yourself look amazing in the process? Would you like to know how?”

“Yeah!” roared the crowd.

Jean tipped his hat to them. “Good to know. The process is called ‘upcycling’, according to the talented Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, and it is a form of recycling that must be seen to be believed. Taking old clothes that are still in reasonably good condition and turning them into something new and cool. Would you like to see this practice put into action?”

“Yes!” responded the crowd.

Jean pointed to the assembled. “Good to know! Well, just ordinary everyday clothes might be good enough for a normal class, but we here at Triple-R, that’s ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle’ by the way, aren’t normal.”

“No, you’re not!” responded someone from M. Fabron’s class.

The MC blew them a kiss and went on. “So, this is Paris. A city that thrives on high fashion. A city that also has a pest control problem. Some weirdo in a mask is sending butterflies all over the place. Unfortunately, he’s not as harmless as Kim.”

“Ha ha...hey!” Kim cried out.

“Sorry, Kim. You’re a great athlete. But anyway, as I was saying; we have a villain problem. But fortunately, we also have heroes!”

Everyone cheered and Jean smiled. “Now, we all know how great Ladybug and Chat Noir are…”

The audience clapped wildly and the boy onstage waited for them to quiet down before continuing. “So this fashion show is not about them.” There were groans of disappointment but Jean held up his hands and they subsided. “There are some amazing heroes that deserve the spotlight just as much as our spotted heroine and her feline partner. So!” He turned away from the crowd and gestured towards the slowly parting curtain behind. “Presenting for the first time anywhere, the premier fashion line of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the ‘Heroes of Paris Collection’ !”

*****

The crowd applauded as the stage lights came on and the music flared to life. Beyonce’s Girls (Who Run the World?) played from hidden speakers as Aurore Boreal strutted down the runway in her yellow and black ensemble.

“First up is our vivacious Aurore, modeling an outfit inspired by Queen Bee!”

The weather girl put a little extra sway in her hips as she walked, doing a little spin as she reached the end of the runway. Her long twin tails were accessorized with bee-shaped combs and black ribbons spiraled around her hair to look like stingers. She wore a bee pendant and gold bracelets, all donated by Mireille. Gold framed sunglasses hid her eyes. She opened the long yellow and black cardigan Bellamy made to reveal the yellow top and black and yellow striped shorts. 

“Aurore is wearing a black and yellow cardigan, hand-knitted by our very own Bellamy Collette, over a short sleeved silk shirt and satin bee-striped shorts. Bee accessories generously loaned to us by Mireille Caquet and shoes refurbished by our designer.” The model held up the cute bee shaped purse and showed it off to the crowd. 

“This purse was hand-knit by Bellamy yet again and placed over a worbla frame for structures. Don’t worry, there’s an FAQ about worbla on the back of your flyer if you’re interested. Fun fact; both the shirt and shorts began life as a couple of nineteen fifties house dresses. They’ve been given new, fashionable life by the amazingly creative designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her staff.”

Chloe looked over the outfit Aurore was wearing with a critical eye and felt a stab of envy. If it weren’t for that ridiculous overcrowding problem Dupain-Cheng would still be in their class and she could have been modelling that admittedly on-trend ensemble. Sure, the clothes were  _ used _ , of all things. Vintage, if one wanted to be charitable but her formal rival had good taste in clothes for other people, if not for herself.

Adrien nudged her shoulder. “Pretty cool, huh?”

The blonde flicked her hair back and hmphed. “It would have looked better on  _ me _ .” Sabrina was too busy taking pictures to agree or disagree.

Aurore posed for the audience one more time and turned and headed backstage.

The music changed from the hip-hop of Beyonce to the classic rock sound of Bryan Adams. The song sounded vaguely familiar; “Get Off My Back” from the movie “Spirit” soundtrack.

“Or maybe instead of spring or summer fashions, you’re looking for the perfect autumn ensemble? I have it on good authority the equestrian look will be all the rage this fall so why not capitalize on the trend with this high-fashion riding outfit inspired by Pegasus?” 

Both Max and Markov perked up after hearing his superhero name and the AI began recording.

Adrien turned to Chloe. “Is the equestrian look really the hot thing for fall?”

Chloe was texting her mother. “It is  _ now _ .”

Mireille glided down the runway, her movements weren’t as confident as Aurore’s but still graceful. She wore her hair in a high faux hawk with a pair of sunglasses perched on her forehead. The old brown jodhpurs had been fitted to her body and little horseshoes and wings were embroidered up the sides and ended in low-heel riding boots.

Jean resumed his commentary. “Our dear Mireille is ready for a gallop in the country or an outing with friends. These jodhpurs have been hand embroidered by Mlle. Marinette in a horseshoe and wings pattern.”

Mireille reached the end of the runway and struck a pose while the audience clapped in approval.

“Notice the lovely bronze frog enclosures on the military style jacket, adding a bit of shimmer and flair. Now, when our lovely model turns around,” Mireille obediently turned her back towards the audience, who reacted with awe. “You can see our designer was given full rein,” even Adrien groaned at the pun. “Notice the horseshoe pattern done with topaz rhinestones and the wings on the shoulders. Don’t worry, my conservation friends, those feathers are cloth.”

Mireille did one more turn and had the courage to blow a kiss to the audience, who applauded and whistled.

“Yee-ha! That’s one feisty filly!” The audience groaned again but Jean didn’t seem to mind. “Well, we’ve seen two ensembles featuring amazing girls’ fashions but what about us guys? Where’s my guy representation?” The audience murmured their agreement. “That’s right! But before we bring out our next model, I have an important question for you all:”

“What does the fox say?”

The speakers blasted the novelty song by Ylvis and Curtis danced down the runway, waving his hands and encouraging the student body to dance along with him.

Brielle groaned and put her head in her hands. She hated that song with the fire of a thousand suns. She glared at Maison. “I can’t believe you let Curtis use that song. It’s an assault to decent music,” she growled.

Maison raised his hands over his head and gave her a wide-eyed look of innocence. “It was the song he wanted and Viv promised me total autonomy when it came to music.”

The deputy class rep ignored him and went off to find Bellamy, hoping he’d brought the first aid kit and some painkillers.

The parkour enthusiast continued to dance at the end of the runway while Jean described his outfit. “Our athletic Curtis likes to move and groove but still likes to dress to impress that possible special someone. And honestly, who’s foxier than Rena Rouge?” 

“Nobody!” Nino bellowed.

The tall redhead posed while winking and blowing kisses. “He’s wearing a casual summer shorts suit made from some old work coveralls. Note how his fox-eared beret matches the suit perfectly. Let your eyes take in the double-breasted vest with matching cloth buttons paired with some long formal shorts. You’ll also notice the pockets on the vest have black fox paw prints on them. The white shirt with a high collar has orange buttons on it to coordinate with the suit. Now when Curtis turns around,” the boy did so, “you can see the tails of the vest. Fox tails, that is. The white satin was taken from an old dress and adds a little color contrast to the burnt orange.”

Curtis gave the audience a little bow as they applauded and Jean called out, “he’s single, everyone!”

The assembled laugh as the tall boy blew one more kiss before heading backstage. The MC hoped his homeroom teacher didn’t kill him.

“Well, we’ve seen daywear and nightwear, so it must be time for some swimwear. Right, folks?” Jean could almost imagine Brielle digging his grave right about now.

The audience cheered obediently. Jean mentally shrugged and figured he only lived once so he should make the most of it. “Let’s bring out our next model, in an outfit inspired by Carapace!”

More applause from the crowd as the original TMNT song began to play.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Heroes in a half shell! Turtle power!”

Brielle leaned against Vivienne and began to sing, “I am gonna kill Duparc now. I am gonna kill Duparc now. I am gonna kill Duparc now. No court would convict me. Murder power!”

Viv sighed and gave her friend a reassuring shoulder squeeze. “Come on, it’s possible Ondine requested that song. You don’t know that it was Jean’s idea.”

Maison overheard them and called out, “Yes it was!”

The two blondes sighed and promised themselves they could have a long cry on Saturday.

Ondine was trying to walk slowly and carefully but found herself bouncing along to the beat as she made her way down the runway. She at least managed not to giggle as she beamed towards the audience.

Kim spotted his girlfriend immediately and began to whoop. “Yeah! Ondine! That’s my girlfriend! You’re doing amazing, sweetie!”

The swimmer gave her boyfriend a little wave before posing.

Jean began describing Ondine’s outfit. “Sun’s out? Guns out! Our resident mermaid Ondine is ready to hit the pool or the beach in this cute sleeveless coverup. An old sweatshirt has been converted into an A-line swimsuit dress in a custom ombre dyed pattern.” Ondine turned around to show off the back. “I’d like to draw your attention to the underwater mosaic on the back, done in abalone and mother of pearl beads with a few cowrie shells and some paste gem ‘bubbles’. The attached hoodie,” Ondine raised the hood to show off the turtle eyes silk screened on it, “keeps the sun off your face. Now with all that build up, I bet you all want to see the swimsuit?” 

The student body yelled and clapped in agreement. Jean turned to the red haired model. “Ondine, if you would do the honors?”

The athletic girl nodded and unzipped the dress to show off the one piece bathing suit. Jean continued his narration.

“This cute little tank began its life as a gymnastic leotard but with a few adjustments it’s now guaranteed to get you noticed for more than just your swimming form. It’s been silk-screened with a lovely sea turtle.” The audience oohed and clapped. “Speaking of turtles, you’re going to need a shell to keep your towel, wallet and sunscreen, right?” He tossed a backpack at Ondine, who caught it in one hand and held it up for everyone to see. “No problem! This knitted turtle backpack with worbla frame, a joint production of Bellamy and Zayan, holds all your swimming essentials while still looking stylish.”

Somewhere in the audience Alya poked Nino. “You’d rock that fox suit,” she winked.

The DJ kissed her cheek. “Not as much as you’d rock that turtle swimsuit. Rowrr.”

Ondine slung the backpack over her shoulder and headed to the back. Jean held two fingers to his ear and pretended he was receiving a message. “Uh oh! Looks like we have a dragon loose in the building! I bet it’s Ryuko!”

Before anyone could panic or even react, a very familiar song from a nineties  _ anime _ began to play.

“Dragon! Dragon! Rock the dragon! Dragon Ball Z!”

Adrien’s jaw dropped as he spotted the girl in red making her way down the runway, slashing at invisible opponents with her  _ shinai _ as she did so. The crowd gasped in awe as they took in the Japanese girl wearing something other than her school or fencing uniform.

“Wow,” Adrien stared at the girl onstage. That color looked incredible on her and her bare arms showed off her streamlined muscle tone. The crop top displayed her well-developed abs and the blond model hoped he wasn’t staring. He’d always thought she was pretty but seeing her showing off her  _ kata  _ made his eyes widen and his mouth go dry. He tried thinking of Ladybug but that just made him feel uncomfortably warm as well.

Nino noticed where his best friend’s attention had gone to and snickered. “Looks like your girlfriend is winning over the crowd.”

Adrien tried to sound angry but just sounded defensive. “She’s not my girlfriend,” he told the DJ but his best friend just smiled and gave the blond a sad shake of his head.

“Whether you’re doing yoga, crossfit, or defending the Earth from aliens, this workout gear has you covered. Literally. Our fierce Kagami is ready for anything in her asymmetrical crop top with a ribbon hem and matching yoga pants. Hard to believe it now, but this used to be a full-body leotard until it was upcycled by Marinette and transformed into what you see today. Note the dragon scale pattern on the top and ribbon and the black dragon winding its way up the right leg of the pants.” Kagami reached the end of the runway and balanced on one leg while she held the sword over her head. The crowd roared their approval and she gave them a thin smile.

“And how do you like Kagami’s horns?” Kagami tilted her head towards the crowd so they could get a better look. “Those are headphones in disguise, so you can listen to your exercise mix. Plus, the pants have a media pocket,” Kagami stuck her hand inside it, “so you can carry your phone, keys and at least one Dragon Ball with you to the gym.”

The Japanese girl lowered her leg, bowed to her fellow students and turned on her heel to loud whoops and clapping.

“Hmmm…” Jean pretended to contemplate. “You know, I don’t think we’ve brought out anything you could consider party clothes, have we?” The audience murmured a negative. “Nope, not really. And I’ll bet no one knows how to party like King Monkey!”

“No way!” Kim yelled out.

“I would have to contradict you and answer in the affirmative,” Max piped up.

“No...I mean...it’s really cool that Marinette designed something based off...a one-time hero,” Kim corrected himself.

Max smiled as he thought of his two outings as Pegasus. “Indeed. I’m sure all of the temporary heroes would be flattered to be remembered. Truth be told, those creations are very fashionable.” He pushed up his glasses. “I wonder if Marinette could be persuaded to upcycle an old dress of my mom’s.”

Kim chuckled. “I’d ask her now before every celebrity and fashion house comes knocking.”

“I have Marinette’s contact information in my database. I’d be glad to email her on your behalf,” Markov told his creator.

Max smiled in appreciation. “Thank you, Markov. Please do.”

*****

Brielle sighed in relief after giving Zayan the thumbs up to go out on stage. “At least Zayan is level-headed and sensible. I don’t have to worry about him picking out any weird music.”

Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey” began to play and Maison raised an eyebrow at his classmate. “Are you sure about that?”

Brielle just put her blanket around her shoulders and contemplated her life choices.

Zayan sauntered down the runway, a rare smile on his features. This was probably the first time he’d appeared before a crowd without a mask or power armor on. It was nerve wracking but also thrilling. Seeing how many attractive girls were staring at him didn’t hurt his vanity at all.

“Our suave man about town Zayan is ready for a high-society party, a wedding, or any event where one has to look debonair and handsome. This dapper evening jacket was once a  _ sherwani  _ but has been tailored to fit and some leather accents on the shoulders and pants make the look less ‘traditional wedding’ and more ‘rich bad boy’. The pockets on the jacket leave your hands free for dancing and see all that embroidered red and gold scrollwork? Our amazing designer came through yet again.”

“This outfit makes a statement,” Zayan turned around so the audience could see the Chinese characters on the back. “And that message is, ‘Son Wukong was here’. Yes, that’s right! The Monkey King himself! Thanks, Zayan.”

The Muslim boy gave the crowd a respectful salute and walked away.

Even though the audience was enjoying themselves immensely, Jean was a tiny bit nervous. He hadn’t heard from Brielle yet about Marinette and he wasn’t sure whether or not to end the show with an apology or a showstopper.

*****

Marinette sat in the makeup chair and tried not to fidget as Alicia’s older sister worked on her hair. She couldn’t believe she’d allowed her new friends to talk her into doing something so crazy. Her, a model? Impossible! She was going to faceplant in the middle of the runway. She was going to trip and crush someone in the audience. She was going to ruin everyone’s hard work and lose their respect.

The noirette wished she could talk to her kwami right now. Tikki always knew what to say to make her feel better. Probably something about believing in herself and having confidence. Bellamy would offer tea and sympathy. Vivienne would tell her not to psych herself out. Kagami would tell her not to hesitate.

She was so busy catastrophizing she didn’t hear the older girl say she was done or Alicia slipped into the room.

“Imagining the worst case scenarios again?”

The designer was getting used to Alicia’s ninja powers so she barely jumped. “You’ve been here the whole time, haven’t you?”

The violet haired girl shrugged. “Actually, I just got here. I saw someone paying their karmic debt today so I wanted to send a few pics from my phone to my email and print them out when I get home. Your basic makeup was done but I wanted to know if you wanted anything special like Jean.”

Marinette just shrugged. “You know more about that sort of thing than I do.”

Alicia left the shadows and sat beside the smaller girl. “Still nervous, huh? I’d take your place but we’ve already altered the dress to fit you and I’d rather run across campus in a bikini than be on stage.”

The pig tailed girl laughed at the unlikely image. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to let everyone down by not modeling but-”

“You wouldn’t be,” Alicia assured her. “No one would make you do something you didn’t want to do. They’d feel bad if you felt pressured on their behalf to do something that made you uncomfortable.”

The young designer felt some of the tension in her shoulders and back ease. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

The violet haired girl surprised her by grinning. “Hey, you don’t have to be the Everyday Ladybug all the time. Even heroes need a break and support. Maybe even a hug.” She gave the other girl a stern look. “I don’t do hugs but I will go find Bellamy for you.”

Marinette smiled. “Thanks but I’m all right.” She sighed and said a bit wistfully:

“Ladybug and Chat Noir make it look so easy, don’t they?” It made it easier to talk about her superhero persona if Marinette treated her like a different person. “Show up, crack some jokes, summon a lucky charm and swing away. I’m...not cut out for that,” she admitted. “Not like them. I can’t even tell the boy I like how I feel without babbling like an idiot.”

“I can’t relate but I’m sure they have their own flaws and problems,” Alicia told her.

The noirette laughed but her heart wasn’t in it. “I wish I could wear a mask in everyday life.”

Alicia grinned in sympathy then froze as she thought about what the other girl had just said. She started to gather up some cosmetics her sister had borrowed from work.

“Well, maybe you can. Trust me and be very still.”

*****

Jean checked his watch, glanced towards the backstage area and gave a dramatic sigh. Surely he would have heard something by now. He decided to close the show.

“You know, folks,” he admitted, “we were supposed to have another ensemble to show you all, a real showstopper, a true climax to all the amazing outfits we’ve shown you tonight.”

The crowd made sounds of interest and he continued.

He shook his head sadly and told them. “Well, the person who was supposed to model got a little stage fright. Not their fault! It happens to the best of us!”

The audience sounded disappointed and a few “awwws!” were heard.

“And our poor little designer...you know those artsy types...they’re sensitive. She had an itsy-bitsy nervous breakdown or seven and fainted. Recovered, fainted again, had some tea, feels a lot better now. So now that the drama is over, I’d like for you all to meet our designer, our star, Marinette Dupain-Cheng-” he looked one more time towards backstage...and saw Brielle, who gave him a smile, a thumbs up and a scowl, in that order. “As the mysterious,  _ muy caliente _ Multimouse!”

Jethro Tull’s “And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps” played over the speakers and everyone eagerly looked at the petite girl about to make her way down the runway.

Marinette felt a moment of blind overwhelming panic, then thought of Alicia showing her the “mask” she’d made for her out of cosmetics.

_ I’m not Marinette, I’m Multimouse. _

_ I’m Ladybug. _

_ Hawkmoth can’t scare me, no one here can either. _

The designer took a cue from her superhero persona and strode down the runway. She was proud and capable. One day she’d lead a super team to protect Paris and the world.

_ Maybe today’s the day we grow up? _

Marinette lifted her chin a little higher, looking calm and regal. She didn’t feel all the eyes on her. She didn’t even care. Her heart wasn’t pounding. She never even trembled. Adrenaline surged through her. 

_ I can do this! _

*****

Bustier’s class had been impressed (and some were secretly touched) by all the superhero themed outfits so far. A few even wondered how much Marinette would charge them to make them something special. They joked that they should ask her now before she was too famous.

Then they saw her come out onstage.

They’d all known their former classmate was very pretty but now she shone. Like a star, or a princess. She wasn’t clumsy or uncertain; she was a young woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. She could rule them all.

Her eyes swept over them as she stood at the end of the runway and struck a regal pose.

*****

Adrien was so awestruck the only thing he could think of was,  _ Now I know why so many guys have had crushes on her. _

Marinette was pretty cute, even when she was clumsy and embarrassed. Today she was stunning and royal, as beautiful as any girl he’d ever seen.

He remembered the surprise he felt when he found out his shy little classmate had been Multimouse. Seeing her model a dress based on her alter-ego was ten, no, a hundred times better. She was so confident, even serene. There was something in her eyes that struck him, something that reminded him of his Lady. That calm determination when she figured out where an akuma was hiding or she planned their defeat. He was very glad he was sitting or otherwise he might have collapsed.

_ She’s just a friend. She’s just a friend. She’s interested in  _ **_Luka_ ** _ , not  _ **_you_ ** _. _

“Wow…” he heard Nino say.

“She...she’s,” Chloe stammered.

“Gorgeous!” Alya breathed.

“I wouldn’t go  _ that _ far,” Chloe muttered under her breath but couldn’t find anything to criticize the noirette about.

The student body held their collective breaths, spellbound by the girl onstage.

Marinette put one hand on her hip and turned slightly to the left and then to the right to show off her creation. Her hair was in space buns at the back of her head and tied with grey and black ribbons. Her silver sandals were laced up her legs with pink ribbons and the cosmetic “mask” brought attention to her bluebell eyes.

The crowd listened silently as Jean described the heroine-inspired dress. “This lovely cocktail dress would not look out of place at a movie premiere, high society gala, or the Cannes Film Festival. The silver wraparound bodice is embellished with pink and white seed pearls and onyx beads, then embroidered with tiny mice. The belt is from an old bomber jacket and is festooned with paste gems. And that skirt is three layers of sheer tulle in black, pink, and grey and then lattice smocked to make a cool pattern.” He laughed at the audience’s confusion. “I don’t know what all these sewing terms mean but let’s just say it makes the skirt look super fancy.”

“What you might be asking ‘Can you dance in this fancy dress?’” Jean asked the crowd.

This was it. She and Viv had been practicing for weeks. She’d done before as Ladybug, it was Multimouse’s turn.

In front of a thousand pairs of eyes Marinette did a perfect backflip and did a “ta-da!” pose.

The reverently silent audience shot to their feet and burst into applause. Some even stomped their feet and Kim and Alix wolf whistled at their friend.

“Mari! Mari!” Adrien began to chant and then Alya and Nino did so as well. Soon the whole school ( _ sans _ perhaps M. Damocles and Mlle. Bustier), were chanting the name of the young designer. Even Chloe joined in without Sabrina urging her to.

Marinette felt a great swell of pride and relief as she looked over the audience. She would never in a million years she’d be standing before a crowd giving her a standing ovation and chanting her name. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or pinch herself so instead she gave the audience a bow and then Chat Noir’s famous two-fingered salute. With a blown kiss to the crowd and one to Jean, she pivoted on her heel and headed backstage.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Anyone can adopt anyone with consent and persistence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After-party, adoptions, and mutual understandings. Plus, Mendeleiev's class continues to be the best support network ever, ticking off your boss, deserved blackmail, and baby's first television interview for deserving students.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter nine got so big I had to split it in two. Same for chapter ten. Enjoy!
> 
> Profanity warning.

**Ch 9.5: “Anyone can adopt anyone with consent and persistence.”**

  
  


The models for Marinette’s fashion show all came out for one last bow and surrounded their designer, applauding along with the exuberant audience. She smiled and blushed and bowed to everyone, which earned her an “awww!”

Finally Jean brought the show to a close. “This has been the first annual Triple-R Fashion Show! Hopefully the first of many but I don’t want to jinx our creative designer and her lovely staff. Anyway, we’re glad you enjoyed our show but we need to rest and relax. So! You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here! Thank you, Francois Dupont! We love you. Good night!”

The crowd groaned good naturedly but began to disperse. The curtains slid closed and the stage lights dimmed while the house lights came up. The host and the models hurried backstage to congratulate the rest of the crew.

“Oh my gosh, you did it!” The usually shy Marc grabbed Marinette and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

“ _ We _ did it,” she tried to correct him but it was muffled into his shirt.

“Group hug!” Bellamy called and Mendeleiev’s entire class surrounded the designer and the writer in a warm embrace. Even Kagami allowed her new classmates to hug her, too excited and pleased to be included to refuse.

“You guys were amazing!” Bellamy gushed. “I’m so proud of my babies!”

“We couldn’t have done it without your support,” Jean told him. “Plus, no one could make me look better than Marinette.”

“Truth,” Alicia confirmed. Jean just stuck his tongue out at her.

“We should celebrate,” Viv tried to say but was interrupted by visitors from Bustier’s class.

  
  


Adrien, Nino, and Chloe waltzed over to the science teacher’s homeroom. Adrien was holding a bouquet of flowers. He held them out, to Marinette or Kagami no one would ever know, because Alicia grabbed them. “Yoink! Agreste, you shouldn’t have!” she told him with a kiss on the cheek. Before anyone could stop her she ran off to find a vase.

Chloe dismissed the violet haired girl’s shenanigans with a toss of her ponytail and turned to Marinette. "Ok, look, I just  _ need _ one of the Queen Bee outfits you created, so tell me your price, and when you need my measurements." She looked a tiny bit self-conscious that Mendeleiev’s entire class was staring at her incredulously. “What? I’m my Mommy’s daughter. I know good fashion when I see it. I’ll pay you in exposure, and actual money too.” She gave the noirette a tiny but sincere smile. “That outfit was amazing and anyone who doubts your talent after tonight is utterly ridiculous, Dupain...I mean...Marinette.”

The designer just smiled at Chloe’s sincere if awkward effort to be kind. “Thank you, Chloe. I’m glad to have the endorsement of Queen Bee herself. I can’t make you the exact outfit Aurore is wearing because it’s one of a kind. Much like the model, right, Aurore?” She said as she grinned at the weather girl, who preened back. “But I can make you something just as unique. I will require a twenty-percent deposit up front. It’s non-refundable but if for some reason I can’t finish you won’t have to pay the full price.”

Chloe sniffed. “That sounds fair.”

Nino chortled. "Aww did you hear that dudette? Chloe liked it a lot." 

Chloe huffed at the DJ. "I will keep Adrien this weekend if you try me, Lahiffe!" 

Nino looked surprised. "No way! We have a father-son trip planned. Not even Alya gets to come."

Marinette looked from Nino to Chloe in confusion. “It’s been a long two months. What did I miss?”

“Nino and Chloe decided they were going to adopt Adrien and become his parents,” Alya’s bronze eyes sparkled with amusement. “Apparently they’re also divorced parents and have joint custody. I wouldn’t question it, if I were you.” The noirette was still baffled but didn’t inquire further. Sometimes it was better not to know.

Marinette gave Chloe a kind, sincere smile and the blonde’s eyes widened in surprise. “I think part of the success of the play is thanks to you,Chloe. Your strength in planning and making connections as a socialite who’s going to inherit the  _ Grand Paris _ was probably indispensable.”

Chloe seemed touched by the praise but recovered quickly and snapped back, “Well, Max and his robot pal helped figure out what had to be done and broke it up into manageable steps. I’m just the best at delegation. “

Nino didn’t say a word, just grinned smugly at Chloe, making her blush in embarrassment. She reddened under his gaze and snarked, “Dammit, Lahiffe, you always have to point it out when I’m trying to be nice!”

The DJ just raised his hands in a show of innocence. “Dudette! I’m just trying to encourage your good behavior and growth as a person.”

“It’s called ‘positive reinforcement’”, Adrien added.

The blonde girl just huffed and crossed her arms. “Whatever,” she replied but everyone who knew her saw how flattered she truly was.

Kim gave the class a wave and ran towards Ondine, bear hugging his girlfriend and clamoring about how awesome she was. “You looked super cool,” he told Zayan.

The Muslim boy dusted a piece of lint off his sherwani and the three wandered off to talk about cosplay.

Nathaniel sought out Marc and the artistic couple sought out a quiet corner to talk and cuddle.

Meanwhile Bellamy was trying to calm Bri and Viv from their tag team scolding of Jean, Curtis, and Maison for their questionable music choices.

Bellamy told Brielle, “It was harmless! We don't need to go off on them."

Brielle stopped glowering at the trio to snap at the “Mom Friend”. "Shut up, Bell. They did a horrible injustice to Mari’s designs and deserve to pay the consequences!”

Curtis decided it was a good time to open his mouth and try to diffuse the situation. "But Bri, you love me!”

Brielle put her hands on her hips. "Well I won't be dating you for much longer after I've strangled you."

Bellamy was taken aback at this sudden revelation. "SINCE WHEN DID YOU TWO START DATING?!" 

Every other conversation in the room ceased as all the teens looked over at Brielle and Curtis, who started blushing.

Jean facepalmed. “You mean I made that announcement for you for  _ nothing _ ?! I could have advertised  _ myself _ !”

Alicia just glanced at Mirielle. “Pay up, I told you they’d be dating before the year’s over.”

Mirielle sighed but dutifully handed a bill to her classmate. "Dammit, Brielle, I lost 20 euros."

Vivienne shook her head in disbelief and smoothed a lock of wavy blonde hair behind her ear. “Does anyone else have any bets going?”

Marinette nudged the Japanese girl and joked, “Kagami and I had a bet you and Bellamy would kiss tonight.”

“We did?” Kagami whispered but was shushed.

Bellamy stared at his youngest “child” with wide eyes. "But....you couldn't have seen us." He cleared his throat as everyone gaped at him. “I mean...nothing...ignore me.”

Alicia thought it was a good time to come clean about another bet. "Also M. D and M. Fabron were both crying. No one won that bet."

Marinette looked at her. She had thought the other girl spent most of her night guarding the wardrobe. “How'd you know?”

Alicia just shuddered and wondered if brain bleach was a thing. "Don't ask, you can't handle the knowledge.”

The two classes just laughed until they heard a scuffle down the hall.

Some woman’s voice cried out, “Sir, you can't go back there-”

There was a hiss and a growl and a familiar British voice answered back. “Family's allowed back here, innit? Marinette's my...niece! Down, Fang! Do you wanna see your widdle friend Marinette again? Yes he does! Yes he does!”

Marinette decided to play along, too elated at the show’s success to worry about embarrassment or consequences. “Uncle Jagged, you made it!”

“Mari! My favorite designer!” Jagged Stone burst backstage as Penny Rolling and Fang trailed in his wake. The random teacher who tried to stop him had vanished, no doubt she was either calling the police or trying to find M. Damocles.

The noirette reluctantly pulled herself from the group hug to approach her favorite rockstar. He was smiling down at her, as proud as any blood relative could have been. He held his arms out to her and she gingerly hugged him. He clasped his arms around her and spun her in a circle until she was dizzy.

When he set her back down she was a bit wobbly and Kagami, Adrien, and Jagged all took turns trying to steady her. Penny wisely intervened and found her a chair. “Hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” she whispered in Marinette’s ear.

“You and Jagged are never intruding!” Adrien replied excitedly. He stopped when he saw Kagami glaring at him and realized he was talking for the young designer. “Oh, sorry. Right, Marinette?”

“Right.” Marinette was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him lately. “And don’t forget Fang. Hello, Fang,” she crooned as the crocodile crawled into her lap and turned over onto his back, begging for belly rubs.

The noirette obliged the scaly pet and rubbed his smooth tummy. “It’s amazing how something so rock and roll could be so sweet when he wants to be. As sweet as any kitten. Right, Jagged?” she asked the rock star. No one but Bustier’s class would get the veiled dig.

They did, judging by the collective flinch but Jagged didn’t seem to notice. “Nothing with fur could be as rock and roll as Fang. Except maybe a tiger or a panther. Penny?”

“No,” the woman told her employer, polite but firm. He sighed and gave his agent puppy dog eyes but she didn’t give in, no doubt used to her employer’s whims by now.

“Your show was amazing, Marinette! Uh, you and your classmates did a great job. And that recycling fabric to make ‘em cool clothes again? Inspired!” He ruffled her hair and she ducked her head, blushing. “That little girl who runs the Ladyblog was livestreaming your show and Penny and I have been watching it all night. When you came out in that little mouse dress I told her we had to get over here pronto to tell you how great you did!” He smiled warmly at the young designer. “I couldn’t be prouder of you if you were really my niece. Hmmm,” he looked back at Penny, who didn’t even look up from her phone. “Penny, do you think the Dupain-Chengs would adopt me? I could be...the dad I think, yes. The dad’s brother and then I really would be Marinette’s uncle!”

“We accept!”

Tom Dupain and Sabine Dupain-Cheng stood behind Mlle. Rolling, beaming proudly at their daughter and their new “relative.” Both had worn their finest and had also snuck backstage to congratulate their daughter on her success. Neither expected to be upstaged by their favorite rocker but they didn’t seem to mind.

“You’ll be my younger brother, of course,” Tom informed the rock star. “You can call us Tom and Sabine from now on. Welcome to the family, Jagged.”

He held out his huge bear paw of a hand to Jagged, who shook it gratefully. “I always wanted an older brother, Tom. You can call me...” he looked around, startled to see he had an audience. “I’ll tell you my actual name when I come ‘round for dinner some time,” he assured the bigger man.

“You’re always welcome to Sunday brunch, ‘Little Brother’,” Sabine giggled, looking as young as her daughter.

Jagged laughed. “Thanks, Sis.” He looked at his agent. “Penny? Clear a Sunday of Tom’s choosing for me next month, all right?”

“Already done,” the terrifically efficient woman could give Viv lessons.

There was an excited stirring among the teens as Penny nudged her boss and whispered in his ear. “Right. Sorry, Penny, got a bit distracted. Anyway, Marinette,” he straightened up and looked serious. “Watching your show got me thinking. I have tons of old clothes just mouldering away that could be reused and repurposed. And I’d like to hire you to completely redo my old wardrobe.” He smiled as a shocked gasp rose through the crowd.

“Me? Are you sure?” Marinette gaped at her idol, who rubbed her hair again.

“Positive. The environment and conservation is actually something I’m passionate about. I usually like to give anonymously,” he seemed almost uncharacteristically abashed, “but maybe if I make a statement, like wearing....what did you call it...upcycled? Upcycled clothes at my shows, I might start a trend,” he said with pride.

Sabine cleared her throat and gently told the rock star, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with school or her other activities, right?”

Jagged nodded and pointed at her. “Right. You got it, Sis.” He turned back to Marinette. “Education is important, even to someone as talented as you. Gotta learn how to navigate fashion and keep track of your finances, right?” Marinette nodded. “Good. Penny and your mum will work out a schedule so you won’t neglect anything else in your life.”

“Twenty-percent up front, M. Stone,” Chloe interjected.

“Yes, a non-refundable deposit, but if for some reason you are displeased you will not have to pay in full,” Kagami surprised Marinette by winking at her.

Jagged shrugged. “Sounds more than fair. Penny will cut you a check and discuss pricing tomorrow. Hey,” he turned to leave and then stopped. “You didn’t have any Ladybug or Chat Noir clothes in your show, right? Can I commission some Ladybug and Chat Noir clothes for me? Maybe Penny too?”

The crocodile crawled out of the noirette’s lap and waddled over to his owner, nudging the man in the leg.

“Fang as well,” the man reached down and scratched his pet’s head, who panted like a dog. “With all the leather I’ve collected in my closet over the years, it should be dead simple to create a Chat Noir outfit or two for me.”

“That’s why I’m going to dress you as Ladybug,” Marinette grinned at his surprise. “If it’s too simple it’s not a challenge, is it? Besides,” she looked from Jagged to Penny. “Penny would be an awesome Chat Noir, just as you’d look great as Ladybug.” She went on to explain, “Ladybug is the leader while Chat Noir is always there to help and support her. Just like you and Mlle. Rolling.”

Penny and Marinette shared a look of understanding. Each of them knew who was really in charge but were wise enough not to say.

Jagged’s chest puffed up. “I can’t argue with that logic.” He hugged Marinette again and gave her a peck on the forehead. “Uncle Jag has to get going. We’ll be in touch. Bye, kids! Bye, Big Bro and Big Sis!” He, Penny and Fang left together.

“Bye!” called the students. Even the normally unflappable Vivienne, Brielle and Bellamy looked star struck.

“See? It’s like I told you,” Chloe was telling Nino. “Anyone can adopt anyone with consent and persistence.”

“Okay, fine, dudette. You were right.” Nino shrugged, knowing by now when to pick his battles with Chloe.

Alya laughed at their conversion then stopped. “Wait...does this make me Adrien’s step-mom?”

“Yes,” the blond gave the reporter a side-hug, “and I both love and resent you, Mama Alya.”

She poked him in the ribs. “Teenagers.”

The noirette decided to tactfully change the subject. “I loved the play. Kim was an awesome Hawk Moth.”

“Yeah, but the star was clearly Mylene,” Adrien replied with a smile. “That girl is going places.”

“Straight to the top,” his best friend agreed.

Kim and Ondine wandered back over, arm in arm. “It’s a shame that Lila couldn’t make it.”

“No, it isn’t,” Chloe muttered just loud enough to be heard.

Alya ignored the girl with a roll of her eyes. “Lila was going to play Mayura, but she got a rash at the last minute and had to bow out.”

Alicia stifled a laugh but everyone still heard her.

“Um...that’s unfortunate…” Marinette began politely. She thought for a moment and then asked. “Wait, I thought Mylene was supposed to be lead actress, so why was Lila-”

“That’s certainly what I assigned,” Vivienne agreed sternly. The teasing girl was gone and the scary class rep was back.

There was some hemming and hawing from Bustier’s class until the designer hastily amended, “Well, Mylene got to play the lead after all so no real harm was done. I’m sure Lila will be okay in a few days. She’ll be sorry she missed the play…”

“She’ll be sorry she missed your show as well, girl,” Alya told her. “As soon as everyone sees  _ Jagged Stone _ in your fashions, everyone in France will want one of your designs.”

There was a collective groan from the science class until Marinette piped up. “Everyone in France will have to wait. Maybe everyone in France can learn to upcycle their own clothes.”

The designer yawned loudly.

“That’s my cue,” said Tom, Viv and Bellamy, who looked at each other and laughed.

“Sorry, M. Dupain,” Bellamy apologized and put an arm around Vivienne. “We’ve been spending so many hours with your daughter, it’s almost like we became temporary parents.”

Marinette leaned against her papa, who grinned at his daughter’s classmates. “Well, I can’t blame you for loving Marinette.  _ Everyone _ loves Marinette.”

There was a murmur of consent from the assembled until M. Dupain picked up his sleeping daughter and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “But it’s time for her to get some sleep. Good-night, everyone!”

Everyone whispered their good nights as the Dupain-Chengs left. Now that Marinette was gone Bustier’s and Mendeleiev’s students were at a loss for words. They gave each other a polite smile and awkwardly bid goodnight and congratulations.

*****

Half a city away an angry auburn hair girl vainly scrubbed her skin in an attempt to remove red ink from her face and neck. It was barely any lighter than when she started.

Lila cursed creatively in Italian, then French, then back to Italian because French sounded too melodic. If she ever saw that purple haired harpy alone again she’d snatch her bald and break her nose.

_ You uppity little bitch!  _ Lila fumed as she traded her sponge for a loofa. Fine, she wanted to ruin that simpering goody-goody’s fashion show. Marinette deserved it for refusing to go along with her and turning Adrien away from her. Now M. Agreste was angry with her and her control over Bustier’s class was slipping.

She had miscalculated somewhere but usually she only had to deal with one person who caught her in a lie, not a whole class. Mendeleiev encouraged “critical thinking” and facts. Maybe it had been a mistake to make Bustier kick the designer out because all she did was move to a new, better class.

And to make things worse, Marinette would become famous before Lila could! Hundreds, if not thousands of people watched the Ladyblog daily, which is why she’d chosen the naive Alya to interview her. Now that dumpy Mylene was getting all the attention Lila wanted and Marinette had a damn runway show starring her designs. It wasn’t fair.

_ Where was Hawk Moth when she needed him? _

*****

In a deadly silent office at a mansion in Paris a tall icy man and his stoic assistant watch teenagers perform a play about their villain personas.

The man forbids the woman to comment after the performance begins and puts his hands behind his back, probably to stop himself from breaking anything. She notices his knuckles are nearly bone white from restraining himself.

The play ends and the woman has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. The writing is surprisingly witty and the girl playing Mayura has a dry, snarky delivery she can appreciate. Under other circumstances, she would be highly amused.

She sneaks a glance at her superior’s face and all amusement fades. He is as angry as she’s ever seen, furious in fact. It does not help at all he recognizes a blond boy dressed as an akuma.

The girl on screen compares the akuma to a “rejected cartoon pilot from the nineties” and the audience roars with laughter. Her employer’s eye twitches. She wants to ask to leave the room but she doesn't think it would be a good idea to bring attention to herself.

_ This will just make their task more difficult, _ she muses. Hundreds, if not thousands of people tune in to the Ladyblog every day and the ombre haired girl at the beginning of the stream said she might upload the stream to the school’s website. That would make akumatizing Parisians more challenging.

After a five-minute standing ovation and an intermission the actors are gone and a young man is hosting a different group of students. She is about to turn the screen off when she hears a familiar name.

“Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

The tall man’s head came up when he heard the name and turned up the volume. A young man stood on a stage in an ensemble inspired by the Snake wielder. He explained that they were presenting a fashion show that incorporated old clothing being reused and altered to appeal to modern fashion. It was known as “upcycling”. He nodded in approval.

“Very clever, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.”

The man frowned again when the boy in teal referred to him as “Paris’ pest control problem” but his hands  _ had _ unclenched slightly. He was intrigued to see what the young designer had created. 

“Presenting for the first time anywhere, the premier fashion line of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the ‘Heroes of Paris Collection’ !”

The first ensemble was a Queen Bee inspired outfit that used house dresses from the nineteen fifties redone as spring clothes with a striped cardigan and matching bee shaped purse created especially for the show. The audience applauded and the man’s hands dropped to his sides. The woman could tell he was impressed by the ingenuity and mentally taking notes.

The next cleverly incorporated jodhpurs and an old military outfit for a fall look. The man could tell the equestrian aesthetic would be trending for fall because everyone would want to emulate an outfit based on the Horse Miraculous.

The show continued and to the woman’s surprise, the man gradually went from angry to thoughtful. “Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is incredibly creative. To come with so many original designs and plan a fashion show in two months is quite an accomplishment for a young woman, even with assistance.”

“She did have existing garments to work with, sir,” the woman pointed out. “Surely that would make her task easier.”

“To an extent, yes,” he agreed. “Only in the sense that less sewing is required. She still had to design around the available material and make the result better and brighter than the original. I’ve rarely seen such creativity and professional results in one so young.”

The man wondered if he had made a mistake not offering this young woman a leg up in the world of fashion when he had the chance. He was fortunate she had decided against moving to New York and hoped he’d have another chance to recruit her some time in the future.

“So now that the drama is over,” the boy on stage was saying, “ I’d like for you all to meet our designer, our star, Marinette Dupain-Cheng...as the mysterious,  _ muy caliente _ Multimouse!”

If the woman had had less self-control her jaw might have dropped. The man’s jaw did slightly as the young designer herself appeared in a dress inspired by a hero only seen once and only then by TVi’s security cameras. The bodice was a simple wrap around but the embellishments and cleverly embroidered mice elevated it to elegance. The tulle skirt and lace up sandals were feminine and regal.

Although he had always acknowledged the girl’s talent he found her personality a bit...wanting. She was always timid and nervous around him, except when she defended her hat design from Chloe Bourgeois. He supposed he might have that effect on an inexperienced designer. Tonight any uncertainty was gone and she stood confidently among her peers, even giving a saucy salute as she headed backstage.

“She looks more...attractive than usual,” he commented.

“Yes, sir. My compliments to not only her design but her hair and makeup artist as well.”

The man frowned. His agreement with his old acquaintance concerning their children’s “relationship” was a solid business decision. That being said, if his son were to marry someone like Dupain-Cheng, he could guarantee the continuation of the design side of his fashion empire and the possibility of equally talented grandchildren.

“I believe I should arrange for my son to spend more time with Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. Plus, I may consider offering her a summer internship next year. We must help greatness along wherever possible after all.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll see to it personally.”

“Thank you.”

*****

Saturday was quiet and subdued. Most of the students of Francois Dupont slept in, grateful the stress of the last two months was over and all they had left to do was turn in an essay on what they learned. That was something they could worry about Monday; today was a day of rest. Mendeleiev’s class had recorded a video essay, complete with a “behind the scenes” of their process and only needed Alicia to edit it for them before it could be turned in.

The small park with the merry-go-round was empty, save for a young girl in an orange hoodie covering her face. She sat quietly on a bench and occasionally checked her phone while she waited.

She’d been waiting for over thirty minutes. Her employer had told her to meet him at the park at nine a.m. sharp and not to leave until he got there. Her foot twitched with impatience and she was beginning to feel irritated. It was M. Agreste’s privilege to keep his lowly model waiting if it pleased him and, considering her failure last night, it was likely she’d stay that way.

If she wasn’t fired.

Lila had tried lemon juice and all sorts of homemade remedies to remove the ink off her face but while the ink was somewhat faded, it remained, ruining her once perfect olive complexion. Fortunately her mother’s preoccupation with her career worked in her favor for once and Mme. Rossi didn’t see her daughter’s stained face.

After an hour she finally heard the familiar sound of M. Agreste’s sedan pulling up. “Why have you insisted on seeing me today, Mlle. Rossi?”

_ He _ arranged the meeting after receiving her text about her “rash” preventing her from doing any photo shoots. She was smart enough not to contradict him. “Yes, sir.”

“Explain yourself.”

She sighed and went with the story she’d made up. “I came in contact with a strange chemical at my school before my class play and broke out in an allergic reaction. My dermatologist says it’s harmless but it’ll last for a few days. I’m very sorry, sir.”

“Hmm. My son mentioned this play. It was about Hawk Moth and Mayura, correct?”

“Yes, sir. I was to play Mayura. Your son was going to play Hawkmoth before-”

She could almost imagine his icy glare. “My son has more important things than to act in a farce that could attract Hawk Moth’s attention and ire.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Yes, well, I wish you a speedy recovery, Mlle. Rossi. After all, I have no use for a model whose face can’t be shown to the public.”

She ground her teeth together but tried to sound properly chastised. “Yes, sir.”

He was silent for a few minutes and then asked, “and...what about your other task?”

Lila tried not to sigh out loud. She didn’t want to think about last night. “Well, I’ve been trying to do as you asked and keep bad influences away from Adrien. I succeeded in having Marinette moved to another class, which I thought would help. Unfortunately, she’s been able to turn her new class into her minions and they go out of their way to be hostile towards me.”

“With Mlle. Dupain-Cheng out of my son’s class, surely his contact with her has been minimal?”

“Well,” she hedged, “I thought that would be the case but your son is very kind,”  _ not true  _ “and wants to see the best in others, even in people like Marinette”  _ that explains why he’s still friends with Chloe.  _ “So he deliberately seeks her out.”

“And what have you done to dissuade him?”

Sometimes she wished the cold blooded man would meet with her face to face. Tears were more effective when people could see her. “I thought working with him on the play would help me keep a close eye on Adrien, but Marinette persuaded her new class to give me a bit part to keep me away from him. They gave the lead to one of Marinette’s friends, a very sweet but naive girl named Mylene. She can’t see Marinette for what she truly is.”

“The girl who played Mayura was acceptable. Continue.”

“I...snuck into Marinette’s class’ wardrobe area to see her designs.”

When M. Agreste spoke again, it was with a quiet air of menace.

“You did  _ what?” _

“I was sure she’d copied them from you! I just wanted to see them and take pictures, then send them to you to see if she’d stolen your designs. I could then confront her during the fashion show and she couldn’t have lied in front of all those people and gotten away with it. With Marinette exposed as a fraud, your son would finally be free of her influence!”

As soon as the words left her mouth she instinctively knew she’d said the wrong thing somehow. Even the birds in the park had stopped singing.

Her employer was quiet, deadly so and when he spoke again after several agonizing minutes of complete silence.

“This was before you came to Paris and Francois Dupont, so you couldn’t have known about it, Mlle. Rossi.” M. Agreste’s voice was so tranquil yet furious it made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “But someone else once tried to accuse Mlle. Dupain-Cheng of stealing designs.”

“See? That’s proof that she-”

“I wasn’t finished. Don’t interrupt me again, young lady.” Lila tried very hard not to turn around and look at him or run away screaming at the arctic fury in his voice. “Mlle. Bourgeois tried to claim Mlle. Dupain-Cheng had stolen her derby design for a contest. Mlle. Dupain-Cheng was able to prove to my and the principal’s satisfaction her work was indeed the original. So I doubt she would have stolen from me, especially when her theft could be so easily outed.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

“You were going to sabotage Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s designs before her show, weren’t you?” She started and his satisfied tone of voice told her he knew she had lied. 

“Sir-”

“I will not tolerate incompetence or lying from my employees, Mlle. Rossi. Nor the sabotage of a fellow designer, no matter how amateur and inexperienced she is.”

Lila knew she’d messed up. She should have kept her mouth shut about the attempt at sabotage. M. Agreste was coldly ruthless but apparently he had standards and certain lines he wouldn’t cross. Lines she willfully _ had _ in an attempt to destroy the girl she thought she was rid of. She had to be very careful what she said next or she’d be fired.

“Please, M. Agreste! I’m sorry! I thought I was protecting Adrien.” She was crying real tears for the first time in ages. “Give me another chance!”

He was quiet and it took all her self control to remain calm and still when all she wanted to do was turn around, rush over, and beg his forgiveness. She had lost her chance to make her acting debut last night, she couldn’t get fired. She would beg on her knees if it meant staying a model.

Finally after fifteen minutes he spoke. “Very well. I will give you one last chance. And trust me, it  _ is _ your last chance, Mlle. Rossi. I will not tolerate saboteurs so I highly suggest you leave Mlle. Dupain-Cheng alone until I say otherwise. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you! You won’t be sorry-” she tried to tell him but he was already pulling away.

She pulled out her phone but was disgusted at everyone in the class chat either talking about how well Mylene did as Mayura, or how amazing Marinette’s designs were. That dummy should be wallowing in misery, isolated and friendless, not...posting pics of Jagged Stones crocodile on Instagram?! No fair! She put her phone away.

_ It’s not fair. It should be me. I deserve to be famous, not Marinette or Mylene. If it wasn’t for that stupid purple haired bitch everyone would be talking about me and Mari-dummy would have been akumatized. _

Lila slumped and let all the hate and fury she felt show on her face since there was no one who could see her at the moment. Her luck had turned to crap in less than twenty-four hours.

“Well, at least-” she muttered under her breath but was cut off by a familiar, hated voice.

“Hey, there, Lila. I see you couldn’t get the ink off.”

She looked up and saw the violet haired girl from the previous night.

_ Karma hates my guts. _

*****

Lila turned to the other girl and tried to smile but it just made her jaw ache. “Well, hello again! Alicia, right?”

“Right.” Alicia didn’t smile back, she just stared at the Italian girl as if she were an unlabeled specimen in a science lab. “I bet you’re wondering what I plan to do with that video I took. You know, besides possibly showing it to M. Damocles and Mme. Mendeleiev.” The violet haired girl focused her gaze on Lila’s stained face and the Italian flushed an ugly shade of red.

Lila dropped all pretense of being nice. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what you want for it.”

Alicia just shrugged. “Well, I doubt you have anything I really want.” She fiddled with her pocket for a minute then turned her attention back to the fox-faced girl. “And I really don’t get why you hate Marinette so much. She’s great. She’s done nothing to you.” The quiet girl smirked just a little bit. “Except maybe remind you how fake you are.”

The auburn haired liar ground her teeth so hard she was sure she felt something break. “I really don’t need anyone else singing the praises of Saint Marinette so if that’s what you’re here to do, you can go to Hell.”

The violet haired girl pretended to be shocked. “So this is the real you. Wow! Not what I was expecting.” She pretended to think. “No...wait...yes I did.” She laughed in the other girl’s face. “But seriously, lay off Marinette.”

Lila felt herself relax a bit and she smirked. This girl was clearly all talk. She could handle her little barbs. “Or?”

Alicia stared at her for a moment then shook her head as if she was dealing with someone incredibly simple. “Uh, duh! I show my little video to Damocles. And I do mean the whole thing.”

The Italian girl froze. That drone video would be hard to spin in her favor since she said what she did when she didn’t know she was being recorded.

That was it!

“You can’t show that to M. Damocles because I didn’t consent to being recorded,” Lila shot back. “The law states-”

Alicia snorted. “Oh, we cleared the video drone with M. Damocles before the show. We also put up a sign stating we had video devices on the premises. It’s not my fault if you didn’t read it. Ignorance is no excuse. We also told him all about the traps and what they entailed so you won’t get me there, either.”

Lila thought about it and damn the other girl was right. She could cry and wail and weep to Bustier but that wouldn’t work with Mendeleiev. She used and demanded facts and evidence, physical evidence. Her loyal followers might believe her but no one else would and after their successful show Mendeleiev’s class might hold more sway over the school as a whole than she did.

“Look, I don’t have any burning desire to ruin your life,” Alicia began reasonably and Lila thought she might have a chance. The violet girl’s face went from blank to angry, so angry that the Italian took two steps back. “But I won’t let anyone mess with my class. “

The usually quiet girl got right in the would-be celebrity’s face. "One slip up and you're doomed. If I hear a rumor, even a whisper of a rumor you're planning to do anything to anyone in my class, I'll ruin you."

Alicia backed up a few. “And I’ve made several copies. If anything happens to me or if someone tries to get me or anyone in my class expelled,” the violet haired girl’s amber eyes hardened. “Again. I’ll upload it to the school website and send a thumb drive to Nadja Chamack.” Suddenly she was back in Lila’s face. “Try me. See what happens to you.”

She turned and walked away, leaving a very shaken Lila in her wake.

*****

Meanwhile, at a designer’s mansion, he and his personal assistant were talking about their young ally.

“Sir, with all due respect,” the woman said, “Lila Rossi must be very worried and angry right now. It would be very easy to akumatize her.”

“True, but I’m beginning to doubt her effectiveness as an ally,” the man replied as he worked on a design. His lips thinned. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng might have been akumatized over the loss of her designs but Lila Rossi is also targeting her specifically for personal reasons. She lacks the necessary objectivity for the task at hand.”

“Of course, sir,” the woman made a note on her stylus.

“Young Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is a talent worth watching, Nathalie.” The man almost smiled. The girl had won a modicum of respect from him for her designs and ingenuity. She might prove useful for his long-term plans.

“She’s quite talented, M. Agreste.” Nathalie pondered what sort of design the girl would come up with for the Peacock. Pantsuits were good for work and her Mayura dress had a certain appeal but a cocktail dress she could dance in would be a nice change of pace.

“Not that I’ll stop trying to akumatize her,” he added. He almost had her as Princess Justice. There were several times he nearly had her. Her temporary downfall had triggered a massive akumatization and if he could drive her to snap, her akuma could be a masterpiece.

“But it would be a waste of that degree of talent if Mlle. Rossi succeeded in ruining her,” Nathalie concluded.

“Indeed.” Gabriel frowned at the mention of his teen ally. “I am starting to doubt her usefulness but I am a man of my word. I promised her one more chance. I have no use for her if she fails me again.”

He would allow the girl’s rage and insecurity and arrogance to drive her into becoming an even more powerful akuma than any of her previous ones. Even if she failed, it would be entertaining.

*****

Saturday at eleven everyone from Mendeleiev’s class (sans Mme. Mendeleiev herself, who insisted they didn’t want a boring old lady at their party) met at Vivienne’s house. She had cleaned out her home gym for the time being and set up banquet tables and an entertainment center with a flat screen tv, dvd player with hundreds of choices, and a sound system that would give Nino Lahiffe a nosebleed. A modular couch big enough for ten people sat in front of it.

Viv’s parents had sprung for catering from Chez Gigi but everyone had agreed to bring dishes to share. Zayan brought  _ machboos _ and mango  _ kunafa _ . Maison brought  _ timpana _ and  _ kannoli.  _ Jean and Curtis surprised everyone by bringing lemon-berry  _ savarin  _ and  _ mille-feuille _ respectively. Most of the rest of the class just went with quick and easy dishes, save for Bellamy’s _ tarte tatin.  _ Marinette just brought croissants but she did help Kagami set up a hot plate to make  _ okonomiyaki _ for everyone.

“Kagami, I didn’t know you could cook!” The noirette watched the fencer expertly flip the flour and cabbage dish over with tiny spatulas. The Japanese girl blushed faintly from the praise.

“I can cook simple things. An easy breakfast of rice, fish and pickled vegetables, for example. I can also make  _ yakisoba _ and  _ takoyaki _ . Street food, my mother calls it.”

Marinette glanced around her. Most everyone had wandered away from the banquet tables and were playing Just Dance or sitting around talking. Alicia was off talking to Viv and Bri about something, all three girls very serious and a little angry. She didn’t know what that was about, nor did she want to.

The Japanese girl kept talking as she flipped the pancake-like food over and then added some sauce and a drizzle of mayonnaise before transferring it to a plate. “Mother always eschewed traditional female hobbies like tea ceremony or flower arranging. She wanted me to concentrate on the sword. However she encouraged me to learn to cook a few things and to do household chores like laundry. So I could be as independent as possible. A Tsurugi only relies on herself.”

Marinette was quiet as she accepted the plate. In a way, Kagami’s mother reminded her of Adrien’s father; strict with a rigid adherence to tradition. The fencer’s schedule must be as full as Adrien’s and there was a lot expected of Kagami. The noirette could understand why the model and the bob-haired girl got along so well. They understood each other in a way she couldn’t.

She tried to continue the conversation. “I still think it’s cool. Maybe you could teach me sometime?”

The fencer smiled. “Perhaps. I will trade you for a lesson in bread or simple French cuisine making.”

“Deal!” said Marinette and the two girls smiled at each other.

They found a few chairs in a corner away from the crowd and were silent while Marinette ate. The designer set her plate under her chair and looked at her quiet friend. The other girl nearly spoke several times and kept changing her mind. The designer had a feeling Kagami wanted to talk to her about something but was either unsure how to bring it up or afraid of offending Marinette. Since the pig tailed girl couldn’t imagine the fencer being afraid of anything, she assumed it was the former.

“Is something bothering you, Kagami?” she asked. “Would you like to talk about it?”

The fencer let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you, Marinette. There  _ is _ something I would like to discuss with you.” She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.

Seeing no one, Kagami began to speak. “I...noticed something unusual last night,” she told the noirette. “When Adrien spoke to you, you didn’t hesitate. You were calm, even confident. I was impressed.” She frowned in thought then continued. “I almost dismissed it as a fluke, because it could have been leftover adrenaline from the success of the fashion show.” She grinned at Marinette’s look of surprise. “But, now that I’ve had time to think about it, I doubt it. I’ve noticed the way you and he interact of late. Your stammer is all but gone around him and you seem more yourself when he’s present than you used to.” Kagami stared thoughtfully. “You’ve even been able to hug him and be hugged without spazzing out.”

Marinette thought over the past two months and discovered the Japanese girl was right. She’d been able to talk to her crush, even touch him, without feeling anxious or self-conscious. She still cared about him, was still attracted to him, but her feelings weren’t all-consuming like they’d once been. She didn’t moon over him or imagine what they’d name their three kids like she used to. What had once been an obsession was now...manageable.

“You’re right,” the pig tailed girl acknowledged after giving the matter some thought. “I’ve calmed down a lot around Adrien. Don’t get me wrong, I still like him. He’s kind, and smart, and caring. And yeah, pretty hot.” She giggled and Kagami laughed with her. Marinette’s smile faded as she realized something. “Being in another class apart from him gave me perspective. I put him on a pedestal and forgot he was human too. Also, I don’t know that much about him, just what I’ve picked up from magazines and the few times I’ve been able to talk to him. How can I really love someone I barely know?”

Kagami looked down. Marinette had a very good point. Could she herself say she actually loved Adrien without knowing all of him? She too, had thought him to be perfect but he allowed people like Chloe and Lila manipulate him. She still thought they had a lot in common and understood what it was like to live with a controlling parent. Was that enough to build a relationship?

“...so I’ve decided I’m going to back off and just be Adrien’s friend for awhile, just a good friend. I think he needs that more than I need a boyfriend,” Marinette was saying and Kagami pulled herself out of her thoughts.

“Does that mean you concede to me?” Kagami asked.

Marinette laughed and smiled. “Not so much concede but acknowledge there’s another great girl out there who would be good for him.” She grinned and it was more mischievous than the fencer was used to. The noirette was now comfortable enough to be herself. “Adrien deserves someone who cares about him as a person, and not his looks or money.”

“True,” Kagami agreed. “And you think…?”

“That either of us would be a great match for him because we actually care about his feelings and input,” Marinette told her. “He could probably learn how to stand up for himself if he dated you.” She smiled again and the Japanese girl couldn’t help but enjoy the warmth. “And if he decided he didn’t want to date me and just be friends, I think I could be happy with that.” The noirette gave her friend a self-effacing smile. “Eventually. Considering he’s actually asked you out on a date, I think you have a better chance than I do. I’d be happy for you and I hope you’d be happy for me. In fact, you’re the only girl I’d want dating Adrien besides me.”

“Thank you, Marinette.” Kagami felt a little guilty after hearing the other girl’s praise. She was kind and generous and so accepting; towards her main romantic rival of all things. The fencer wondered if she could be so noble were their positions reversed. The fact that she couldn’t say “yes” made her feel somewhat ashamed. Not enough that she wouldn’t take the chance to have Adrien for herself, but better than nothing.

The designer laughed a little to try to break up the awkward tension. “Even if we weren’t friends, I’d still say you’re a hundred times better for Adrien than either Chloe or Lila. I can’t imagine him dating one of them. Not unless he was being blackmailed or his dad was forcing him.”

Kagami looked Marinette right in the eye and said with calm certainty, “If Adrien were to date Lila for any reason, I would assume he'd gone rabid and have him put down."

Marinette examined Kagami’s face to see if she was serious or joking. Finally she just said, “Amen.”

The fencer’s smile turned sly. “What would you think if Adrien was dating Chloe?”

The pig tailed girl pretended to think it over. “I’d think he’d been abducted by aliens and had his brain reprogrammed.”

Kagami smirked. “Agreed.”

The two friendly rivals shared a laugh and Marinette noticed Alicia was sidling up to them. “Um...you haven’t been here the whole time have you?” The designer asked.

Alicia shook her head and looked more serious than either of them had ever seen. “Actually, I just walked up this time.” She looked from one girl to the other. “Remember that video drone we bought just in case someone from Bus...I mean...anyone tried to sabotage our show?” When both girls nodded she added, “well, someone did and I have them on tape, as my parents would say.” Her gaze focused on Marinette. “I think this will interest you in particular. Come on,” she turned and the two friends were intrigued enough to follow.

*****

As they approached the students sitting around the television they were met by Bellamy, Vivienne, and Brielle. Usually they were the most calm and collective students in class. Today the blond trio looked like they’d dearly like to tear someone apart. Marinette felt very lucky to have them on her side.

“Alicia tell you we caught someone trying to sabotage your outfits?” Vivienne asked Marinette intently.

The designer’s eyes widened as she imagined what would have happened if someone had succeeded. Not only would their grades be affected but hers and her class’ hard work over the past two months would have been for nothing. “Yes, but-”

“It’s an old acquaintance of yours.” Bellamy looked grim and his usual gentle demeanor was gone. He pointed out a space in the middle of the couch. “Have a seat. The show is just about to start.”

Marinette sat obediently in the spot he mentioned, with Kagami sitting on her left side and Bellamy on her right. Only he, Viv, Bri, and Alicia seemed to know what was about to happen. Everyone else talked among themselves, unsure about what was going on.

Alicia cued up the video and the class settled down to watch. The mood quickly went from confusion, to shock and outright rage as they watched Lila Rossi waltz into their staging area and argue with Alicia. She then scoffed as the violet haired girl tried to warn her and opened the rolling crate only to be doused with ink. She shrieked and then cursed at Alicia before running off.

The class was silent and then the shouting for Lila’s head on a pike began. Students were muttering and promising bloody vengeance under their breath. The group project might have been created with Marinette in mind, but they’d all contributed to making it work and making it beautiful. The process had brought them even closer together as a class. The idea that someone would destroy what their little Mari had created out of malice was enough to make even the usually shy Mireille bloodthirsty.

Alicia looked grimly pleased with herself. “There was a warning sign and everything. She just blew right by it. The drone recorded the video but I got the audio with my phone. I then synced them together through the editing process. It turned out pretty good, don’t you think?”

“ _ Gesu yarō _ !” Kagami shouted and reached for her sword before realizing she’d left it at home. She noticed the rest of the class was staring at her and was embarrassed by her vehemence. “Oh. Please forgive me for losing my temper.”

“I have no idea what you just said, but I can guess,” Bellamy replied grimly. He and Vivienne looked ready to go to war for the sake of their “baby”. “Believe me when I say I share your sentiment, even if I don’t approve of the profanity.”

“I don’t have a problem with it. I would say it’s justified in this case,” Viv spoke up. She turned and looked at Alicia. “Please tell me you have copies.”

“At least ten,” the violet haired girl confirmed. “On my computer, my phone, emailed to everyone in the class, and a few thumb drives in case she convinces someone to hack us.”

“Good thinking,” Brielle praised. She frowned then addressed Alicia. “She knew you were filming, so how does she think she was going to get away with this?”

Marinette crossed her arms. She was trying to keep herself calm and hoped they didn’t attract an akuma. She was so angry at Lila’s attempt to ruin their show she was tempted to let an akuma have the little liar.

Bellamy, Vivienne and Brielle were livid; their eyes narrowed, their hands curled into fists and the looks on their faces were deadly. Curtis looked over at them and was reminded of something he once read about the Greek Furies. They were a trio of Goddess who would hound the guilty with unceasing anger until their target went mad. He looked from his blond friends to Jean and back again. Jean looked him in the eye and nodded. He’d seen them too.

“Blankets!” Curtis shot to his feet and began looking around. “We need blankets! Now!”

Fury began to fade from the trio’s eyes and they looked at the redhead in confusion. “I...I don’t really keep our shock blankets at home.”

“Then group hug! Be each other’s blankets. Right now!”

The class rep, her deputy and their “Mom Friend” obeyed without question and hugged each other. Marinette hugged Kagami, who hugged back. Curtis through his arms around the blond trio. Jean did the same for the pair of bluenettes.

All throughout the room classmates hugged each other, listening to the other person’s heartbeat, breathing in their scent. It calmed them down enough to ward off any approaching akuma.

“Now that we aren’t going to grab torches and storm Liar Rossi’s house, we need to talk.”

Jean stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth as he addressed his classmates and friends. His voice took on an almost military cadence. 

"Listen up, troops. Yes, our spirits are down. We had a slimy fake try to ruin not only our hard work but our Mari's designs. Yet, we know this enemy. We know what she wants, it's really two things. Fame and Recognition. She's always telling stories about people because associating herself with Jagged or the Agrestes give her that. But, what if, my lovely compatriots, we beat her at her own game? If we become famous and have the truth backing us up we'll overshadow that brat. It'll piss her off and not get her what she wants. We'll win."

Sometime during Jean’s speech Maison began to play a military snare drum cadence on his phone.

Marc was amused despite the serious situation. “When those three idiots take over class and become the voices of reason,” he whispered to Kagami, “you  _ know _ the situation has gotten out of control.” 

“I don’t know them as well as you do,” the Japanese girl whispered back, her lips curling upwards. “I have to take your word for it.”

Viv looked at Jean with a newfound respect. "That was a good speech," she told him with a smile. "Genuinely stirring and uplifting." Jean looked away and played with his hair. He only did that when he was feeling self-conscious, which was rare for the outgoing boy. "Well, you guys were angry and vengeful so somebody had to take over. It's scary to have to be the mature, thoughtful one. Don't make me do that again."

"Jean, if magic doesn't work, acting is your thing." Brielle pointed out, clapping. "Join the Drama Club next year."

He blushed and played with his hair again. “Yes,” he sighed. “Perhaps I’ll meet a lovely starlet of my very own.”

The group laughed with relief, glad that another crisis had been averted, even if it was by the most unlikely of people. Marinette was glad she and her class had avoided being akumatized. For a moment she was so angry she’d forgotten how dangerous it could have been to have Hawk Moth in her mind. She shook her head; not today, not ever. She couldn’t let that happen.

Aurore nudged Mireille. “Well, Mimi and I are covered,” she grinned and the Asian girl giggled. “What about the rest of you?”

“I would say Marinette is well on her way to becoming famous,” Alicia pointed out, looking at her phone. She held it up for Zayan to see.

Zayan began to read from an article. “Innovative young designer wows crowd at school fashion show. From flea market finds to modern and stylish.” He glanced at a shocked Marinette. “I guess parents and rock stars weren’t the only people watching your friend Alya’s feed last night.”

Ondine did a quick online search and read as well. “Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? One young lady shows what’s possible with a few stitches and a lot of ingenuity.”

“Upcycling: The stylish way to reduce your carbon footprint,” Maison added.

“‘Watch out, design houses of Europe’,” Marc read and gave Marinette a bashful smile. “The Style Queen herself warns the fashion elite: ‘That little girl can do more with a pillowcase and a handkerchief than any of you could have done at twice her age.”

“Noooo!” wailed Marinette, covering her face and burrowing herself into the couch. “Every designer in France will hate me! I’ll never get a job at Gabriel’s at this rate!”

Kagami gave her overly dramatic friend what she hoped was a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Then your only solution is to start your own design house. I might be able to convince my mother to invest once you put a stock portfolio together.”

“And before you ask,” Maison interrupted, “my mom could help you with that.”

The designer just blinked at him, looking overwhelmed.

He sighed. “Can someone hug Marinette again? I broke her.”

Kagami and Bellamy willingly obliged and after a few minutes the noirette was herself again.

“Did anyone else get good press?” Mireille asked.

Alicia looked. “Several articles had good things to say about all the models. Plus Jean was a big hit. People thought he had a lot of stage presence.”

Jean preened. “Yeah. I do,” he said, pretending to dust lint off his shoulder.

“But not modesty,” Ondine teased. The curly haired boy just shrugged.

Marc brightened. “I just had an idea. I’m a writer and we’ve already discussed the Chat Noir miniseries idea. I think I’d also like to write about my original characters.” His usual shyness threatened to overtake him and he squeaked out. “That is...if Nathaniel wants to?”

Marinette smiled at him. “Your ideas are fantastic and I will be the first in line to buy both your miniseries  _ and _ your graphic novel.” She solemnly raised her right hand. “Promise.”

The writer’s sea green eyes brightened and he blushed as everyone else showered him with compliments and support.

Zayan hesitated. “I don’t really want to be famous. I’m happy to support all of you!” he added quickly, “but making my armor and maybe one day getting a job with Weta Works is more than enough for me.”

“I’m good too,” Brielle said and she and Zayan high-fived.

Alicia shrugged. “I’m content to stay in the shadows if you guys will let me be your Black Ops girl.” She wanted to add that she was blackmailing Lila so the Italian would leave her class alone, but the “Make the Class Famous” plan was good too.

Bellamy shrugged. “Why would we ever ask anyone else?” he told the violet haired girl and she grinned. “I don’t think I’d mind being a ‘support class’ either.”

Vivienne kissed his cheek. “I main Torbjorn for a reason.”

“Torbjorn isn’t in the support class,” Brielle countered.

“Quiet, you.”

Marinette giggled at her class’ antics then sat up straight. “Hey! Why don’t we make Bustier’s class famous too?”

“Why?” Alicia asked.

The rest of the students wanted to know as well. They adored Marinette and Ondine and Marc’s boyfriends were in the class. Yet most of the class had believed Lila, even when she got their “Everyday Ladybug” expelled.

“Because if they’re becoming famous and getting attention that’s even less for Lila,” Marinette pointed out. “Plus, they’ll be too busy to listen to her. Even if they do, anything they accomplish on their own will be even more amazing than a second-hand story.”

Most of the class agreed but Kagami pointed out the obvious flaw. “There is every chance that, being the good but easily led people they are, they’ll take Lila with them on the road to fame.”

Marinette frowned but then shrugged. “Not for long. I’m pretty sure casting directors and the like won’t hire someone without some sort of proof of talent, especially a minor. Having a friend on the inside might get Lila an audition but that’s no guarantee she can get hired.”

“From what I’ve seen of her behavior, she’ll probably blow her chance and self-destruct,” Alicia spoke up.

There was some nodding and Marinette looked at Mireille and Aurore. “You two host that interview show for teens on Sunday afternoons, right? ‘Talent Under Twenty?’”

“Yes we do,” Aurore confirmed. “In fact, the boy band we’d booked had to cancel because they ate at a bad restaurant and got food poisoning.” She looked at her co-host and then back at the designer, comprehension dawning. “You want us to book your former class?”

The noirette shook her head. “No no! Just, Kim, Mylene, Nino and Rose. The two stars and the director and screenwriter. Hype them up, talk about the creative process, how to get into character as supervillains...I mean...you’ve done interviews before so you probably know better than I do what to ask.”

Mireille nodded. “We have less than twenty-four hours to come up with good questions. If everyone doesn’t mind pitching in, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Right,” Aurore agreed. “Then we just need to get our guests to show.”

“Don’t worry, Kim won’t be a problem,” Ondine was already texting her boyfriend. Her phone chimed and she whooped excitedly. “Kim just wants to know what time he should be at the studio!”

“Tell him one o’clock for hair and makeup,” Aurore said. “Make sure he wears something nice but not formal. A polo shirt and some clean dress pants should be fine.”

“I can contact the other three,” Marinette said as she pulled out her own phone. She tried to remember the huge class schedule she used to have. “I’m pretty sure they’re free on Sunday and I’ll bet they’d love to be on your show.”

Bellamy fluffed his youngest’s hair and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You’re a wonderful person, Marinette. I’m very proud of you for reaching out and helping people, even people who didn’t support you when you needed them.”

The designer frowned at him. “I’m helping my friends because they’re talented and deserve their big break,” she corrected. 

Kagami nudged her friend. “And the fact watching everyone but her become famous will infuriate Lila?”

Marinette tried to look innocent but the mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away. “Has no bearing on my decision whatsoever.”

Her new friends laughed at her and she laughed along with them. “Oh! That reminds me,” Marinette continued to text. “Mylene and Rose are on board for the interview. I had to leave a message for Nino, but he’s probably just busy. I told him what time to be at the studio. Oh, that reminds me,” she said as her fingers tapped at her cell’s screen. “I need to arrange interview time with Alya. I promised.”

“Hmph. I can’t believe you’re not giving your  _ classmate  _ the exclusive,” Aurore huffed in mock indignation. The designer rushed to apologize but the TV host laughed and said, “but she’s your bestie so I understand.” 

“Thank you,” Marinette said with a relieved smile.

“Hey, what about next weekend  _ we  _ go on your show and talk about our experience?” Bellamy asked Aurore. “You know, how a group of teens created a clothing line and put on a fashion show in two months? I bet that would attract an audience.”

“We could do an hour-long show!” Mireille seemed excited at the thought of making her friends celebrities. “The planning, the inspiration, the modelling experience...ratings would be huge!” She looked at Aurore.

The weather girl’s eyes widened as she thought of the possibilities. “The Mister Banana Show is going on hiatus because he’s going on paternity leave to help his wife,” she told the group. “Usually the network just shows reruns when he’s on vacation or whatever. I bet the station would prefer to show something new instead.”

“We already have all the behind the scenes footage we recorded for our essay,” Brielle remembered. “It’ll be edited and ready to go by next week. That’ll save on production costs. The producers will love that.”

“Yes, they will,” Aurore said.

“Should we put it to a vote?” asked Vivienne. Everyone nodded. “All in favor of ‘Operation: Fame Friends’, raise your hand.” Everyone in the room raised their hands. Jean raised both.

“Enough of the serious talk!” the magician declared. “It’s time to party!”

Everyone cheered and Vivienne put on some songs that had been popular with her parents in the nineties. The group got up to dance as “Love Shack” began to play.

“I am unfamiliar with this dance!” Kagami shouted to Marinette over the music.

“I don’t think it matters! Just do your best and have fun!” Marinette shouted back and the two girls danced together with awkward enthusiasm.

A thought occurred to the young designer and she almost laughed out loud.

_ I’m not sure this is what Adrien expected when he told me to “Take the high road.” _

*****

Three hours later Nino got back with Marinette with a message that read, “Dudette, you are  _ kidding  _ me! Yes! A thousand times yes! I will be at the studio at one o’clock sharp!”

The noirette just smiled, pleased to see her friend get the recognition he would have never gotten with Lila’s “help”.

Sunday at exactly one o’clock exactly Rose, Nino, Kim and Mylene met at the TVi building to get into hair and makeup. A trim grey haired woman in a crisp navy suit issued them temporary passes on lanyards and escorted them to the studio where “Talent Under Twenty” filmed.

Mylene and Nino seemed a bit intimidated by the inner workings of a tv studio but Rose and Kim kept their eyes wide and scanned their surroundings.

“Isn’t that Alec?” Kim asked Rose in a stage whisper.

“Yes, it is!” Rose whispered back in the same manner. “And look! That’s Nadja Chamack! “

Nino looked over to where Rose was pointing. “Oh, yeah! Hey, her daughter Manon went with us to the Wax Museum to get Adrien’s statue done.”

The newscaster saw the teens looking at her and waved but couldn’t come over because she was being led into her own makeup chair.

The DJ noticed Mylene kept twisting a bracelet she was wearing around and around her wrist. 

“That’s pretty cute, dudette. Did Ivan buy that for you?”

The actress gave the bracelet a loving caress. “Actually, he made it for me.” At Nino’s look of surprise she explained, “remember that love song he wrote for me? Well, Marinette said we should turn negatives into positives and not think of Stoneheart as Ivan’s akumatization but the catalyst for us getting together. Well, Stoneheart, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Oh, and Marinette.” She giggled. “So Ivan encased the original verses he wrote in resin, broke it into pieces and then sanded them down into beads. Then he drilled holes in the beads and strung them into a bracelet.” She blushed as she thought of her brooding but incredibly kind and sensitive boyfriend.

“Wow!” Nino was impressed. “I had no idea Ivan was so creative! It makes the teddy bear I bought Alya seem kinda lame.” Nino pulled his cap lower.

Mylene smiled up at him. “I happen to know for a fact Alya put her favorite scarf around M. DJ’s neck and he sleeps on her bed every night.” She winked at her friend. “She also plays those mixtapes you made for her all the time.” She hugged the DJ. “There’s all sorts of ways to be creative. Marienette told me that.” Mylene sighed. “I miss seeing her in class every day. I miss her pep talks.”

Nino agreed. “I miss that little wiggle she would do when she was excited.”

Rose walked over. “She had the cutest giggle too. I miss her smile.”

“I miss her snacks.” Everyone looked at Kim, who shrugged. “What? It’s honest and besides, you guys were getting all serious and gloomy. Cheer up! She’s next door, not across the country or the world. Aside from that, we’re about to make our television debuts! We should be happy! Smile!”

Nino and Rose managed to smile as they thought of their friends and family watching them at home. Kim thought of Ondine, who’d be able to brag about her boyfriend appearing on tv as well as being a model herself.

Mylene tried to smile but couldn’t quite make it work. “I’m nervous.”

“No, you’re not. You’re just not into character yet,” Nino surprised them all by using his “director” voice. “You’re Mylene Harprele, an up and coming young actress. You’re talented and confident but also humble and grateful for all the friends who’ve helped you along the way. And...action! “ Nino clapped his hands as if they were a director’s slate and Mylene blinked and straightened, immediately getting “into character”. The group smiled at each other. They’d pulled together a play from scratch in two months and managed to work with Chloe Bourgeois without getting akumatized. A television interview would be no problem.

*****

“Hey, Paris! Welcome to this week’s ‘Talent Under Twenty’, the show that highlights up and coming talented teens from all over our amazing city.” Aurore told the camera.

The studio lights were up and the camera was rolling. Mylene, Nino, Kim and Rose sat together on a couch with Aurore and Mireille flanking them in armchairs turned slightly towards them but still facing the audience. Mylene was now “in character” and seemed much more relaxed. Rose and Nino beamed at the cameras while Kim waved and mouthed, “Hi, Ondine!” before Rose none too gently poked him in the ribs.

Mireille continued the narrative. “Today we’re very pleased to introduce you to some wonderful people from our very own school. In case you missed it on the Ladyblog, we’ll be putting the video on the ‘Talent Under Twenty’ website for you to see.”

“It?” Aurore asked her co-host with a wink.

Mireille laughed. “Right, sorry. ‘It’ is an original play, ‘ The Very Secret Diary of Mayura, Hawk Moth’s Unfortunate Lackey’ was written for a school group project, then acted and directed by our guests. Please welcome Rose Lavilant, the playwright: Nino Lahiffe, director; Mylene Harprele, lead actress who played Mayura; and Le Chien Kim, lead actor who played the Terror of Paris himself, Hawk Moth.” The four guests waved and smiled as their names were called.

Aurore grinned at the four teens from Bustier’s class. “Thanks so much for coming on the show on such short notice.”

“Thank you so much for having us,” replied Mylene. She felt a lot more relaxed after Nino told her to “play a role”, even if it was herself.

Aurore was impressed at how well the four from “The Akuma Class” were behaving. She expected them to be nervous, fidgety, or in Kim’s case, mugging for the camera. They were probably still worn out from Friday. She knew she was.

“We’d like to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind,” she told them.

The four looked at each other then at each of the girls and shrugged. “Go for it, Aurore,” Kim encouraged.

She laughed and asked the first question. “I think what we’d like to hear first is who came up with the concept.”

“Well…” Nino and Rose began together and then laughed. “After you, then I’ll join in,” Rose offered.

“You bet,” Nino turned towards Aurore and said, “like Mireille said, this was a group project for our class, assigned to us by a randomly chosen other class, who we also picked an assignment for.”

“And what they picked for us was incredibly cool and well-organized and we’re eternally grateful,” Kim winked at the camera.

The DJ went on. “So the assignment was to write a comedy, so I decided ‘why not a satire’? So who in all of Paris deserves to be skewered on stage more than Hawk Moth?”

“Very Voltaire of you,” Mireille complimented.

Nino played with his cap. “Funny story, we were actually studying him at the time. Anyway, I think this is where Rose came in.”

Rose smiled, excited to be able to tell her part. “Well, since I had songwriting experience, I was chosen to write the play and at first, it was going to be from Hawk Moth’s perspective.” Rose hesitated, wishing Juleka was with her. She imagined her shy Goth sweetie beside her and could continue. “Then I thought about it and, you might know this, Aurore and Mireille,” she indicated to her fellow guests, “all of us have been akumatized and know what it’s like to have Hawk Moth in our heads.”

Aurore nodded sympathetically. “Even in a comedy, having Hawk Moth be the main character would be pretty intense. For the audience as well as you.”

Rose continued. “So I was hanging out with my beautiful girlfriend Juleka one weekend and I was visited by...inspiration.” Her smile was a little bit sly. “A friend...I won’t say who because I don’t want to embarrass them...suggested shifting the focus from Hawk Moth to Mayura to make it less scary for both me and the audience. Plus the idea of this put-upon, tired assistant having to put up with some crazy boss was too funny not to write. After that, writing the play was easy.”

Mireille took the next question. “What helped you guys get into your roles?” she asked Mylene and Kim.

The two leads played rock-paper-scissors for the right to answer the question first and Kim won. Grinning at his co-star he said, “Believe it or not, it was footage I saw after the fact on Heroes’ Day.” His grin was a little sheepish as he recalled being re-akumatized. “Hawky was making some sort of grand villain speech. You know,” he waved his arms about, making his movements very big and exaggerated, almost hitting Nino in the head. When he spoke again it was with a comically deepened voice. “Soon you fools, I will have your Miraculous and rule the world! Mua ha ha ha ha!” So I just took what I saw him do and just made it crazier.”

Mireille giggled. “Did you just refer to ‘The Terror of Paris’ as ‘Hawky’?” she asked Kim.

The athlete shrugged. “Well, yeah. Making fun of him kinda makes him less scary. It’s like it robs him of some of his power.”

Nino was impressed. “That’s a good way to put it, dude.”

The dark haired co-host looked at Mylene. “What about you?”

The actress smiled, feeling more herself. “I drew on real world experiences. You see, when I was little, before my dad got his teaching job and regular mime work, he worked for this businessman. I don’t even remember his name. I just called him ‘Monsieur X’. Anyway, he was very exhausting and wanted my father available at all hours and would come over to our house all the time without calling or being invited.” Mylene rolled her eyes. “He would come over on my dad’s days off and once on my birthday! So what I would do to make my dad laugh was I’d walk around the house in his shoes, stomping and yelling and do an impression of his boss. Then I’d pretend  _ I  _ was his assistant and say all the rude, snarky things my dad couldn’t. He loved it,” Mylene smiled as she remembered. “So that’s how I played Mayura; as Hawk Moth’s very tired but very sassy assistant.”

Mireille laughed. “As someone lucky enough to have seen your play live, I loved your interpretation of an overworked, sassy Mayura.”

The six teens laughed and then it was Aurore’s turn to ask a question. “Nino,” she addressed the DJ, “what have you found difficult about trying to direct your peers?”

The boy looked at Mylene and they shared a nervous laugh, remembering Horrificator. “It’s hard to separate me as a person from me as a director. The same was true with treating everyone as actors and not just my buds. That was number one. Number two was keeping everyone on schedule because we weren’t taking lessons so there was a lot of temptation to goof off. Fortunately we had our friends, two of our producers, Max Kante and Markov to keep everyone on task.”

“Wait, let me interrupt,” Aurore said. “Markov? Isn’t that the AI robot Max invented?”

“Yeah! Max is a genius and so is Markov,” Nino replied. He looked at Mireille and Aurore. “If you ever need more guests, those dudes are perfect.”

“Then there’s staying on budget,” Nino continued. “Believe or not, our last producer, Chloe Bourgeois, was good at making sure we were careful with our money and didn’t go over our budget. Sure, we had to sacrifice some craft service when we had to recast our lead actor,” he didn’t want to bring up the fiasco with Mylene and Lila on television; he was sure Lila felt bad enough as it was. “But we did okay.”

“Recast?” asked Mireille.

“Mind if I take over, Nino?” Kim interjected.

The DJ shrugged. “ Go for it, bro.”

“Yeah, so, as hard as it might seem, I was not the first choice to play Hawky,” Kim said with a dramatic sigh. “That was our good buddy, Adrien Agreste. Teen model, you might have heard of him.” The girls onstage pretended to sigh and fan themselves. “He had to drop out because his schedule is crazy busy and it was too much for him. So, being the gracious person I am, I took over.” The athlete laughed. “Basically, I saved the play but ruined the budget.”

Everyone laughed and Aurore glanced at her producer, who was doing a “times up” gesture. “Well, I’m sorry, guys. I had so many more questions to ask but we’re out of time.”

Mireille smiled at the group and then at the camera. “We’d like to thank our guests Rose, Nino, Mylene and Kim for being with us today. Their play Thanks for tuning in to ‘Talent Under Twenty’. See you next week!”

Everyone smiled and waved at the camera until the director said, “We’re clear!” and the teens sagged gratefully in their seats.

Aurore looked at the four from Bustier’s class, surprised at how professional they’d all been. Even Kim. “You really saved us by coming on at the last minute.”

“You’re welcome,” Mylene was ‘out of character’ again and her smile was shy and quiet. “I didn’t think I’d have my first real television interview so soon!”

Aurore reassured her. “You deserve it. Your Mayura was amazing! We were able to watch from backstage and Mireille and I laughed so hard we had to have our makeup reapplied.”

Mireille told Rose. “If your music career doesn’t work out, or even if it does, you could write for television or film.”

The blond pixie was touched. “Really?! That’s so kind of you to say!” She let out a dreamy sigh. “Me, future award-winning singer/writer. That has a nice ring to it.”

The group laughed and agreed. Kim asked the question they all wanted to know. “When will our interview be broadcast?”

“It just was,” Aurore grinned at the quartet’s shocked expressions. “Usually we tape the interviews beforehand, but with the fashion show and the cancellation we just did it live this week.”

Rose’s big blue eyes got even larger. “And you didn’t tell us?” she squeaked.

Mireille’s smile was just a touch contrite. “Sorry. We just thought if we had told you it would have made you nervous.” She stood up and hugged all her guests. “You were great! I wanted to tell you that Friday but I was too tired. I predict great things for all of you!”

“She’s right,” Aurore nodded. “You should all think about getting agents now. This was your first interview but I doubt it’s the last.”

Everyone was silent, thinking of what it would be like to be interviewed over and over again. Nino and Kim seemed thrilled, Rose contemplative and Mylene played with her bracelet again, feeling apprehensive.

“Hey!” Aurore clapped her hands. “We convinced the studio to order from the Dupain-Cheng  _ Boulangerie-Patisserie _ today. Who’s hungry?”

“I am!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Better make it a cold shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bustier's and Mendeleiev's students both become famous, Marinette fulfills a promise, Chloe ISN'T irredeemable, and Adrien makes a decision about his love life and finally settles on one girl.
> 
> ...
> 
> Adrien messes up and realizes there's a new contender for his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another giant chapter but I hope it's good. Warning for profanity and Adrien being a teenaged boy.

**Ch. 10 “Better make it a** **_cold_ ** **shower.”**

To say the Bustier play and the Mendeleiev fashion show made a huge splash would be a vast understatement. Within 72 hours Marinette had created a YouTube channel explaining simple ways to upcycle clothing at home. It quickly spawned dozens of imitators.

Because of Alya's livestream and subsequent upload to both the school website, the “Talent Under Twenty '' homepage, and the Ladyblog, all of Paris was having a well-deserved laugh at Hawk Moth's expense. It was months before he could akumatize anyone again.

Hawk Moth was furious; being publicly humiliated by two teenagers on a regular basis was bad enough, now he had a whole city laughing at him. It was sufficient to drive a strong man such as himself to tears. Tears of rage and frustration, naturally. He denied it when Nooroo asked if he were having a nervous breakdown.

Mayura was her usual stoic self in front of her employer but late at night in the privacy of her shower stall she allowed herself the luxury of what the kids would call "laughing her damn ass off." Wine was also involved.

Mylene was beginning to receive offers left and right; small parts in tv shows. A few commercials, and even an offer to appear on a French reality show. Fred rightfully turned that one down; the contract wanted his daughter to play a juvenile delinquent and he wouldn’t allow his sweet girl to be exploited. M. Harprele found his daughter an agent through his acting troupe and was carefully setting aside twenty percent of everything she made for university.

Ivan was more than happy to stay on the sidelines and let his girlfriend have the limelight. He and Kitty Section  _ did _ pick up a few gigs and that was all the recognition or fame he needed.

As for Rose, after her debut on “Talent Under Twenty ”she also went on Mme. Chamack’s show and answered questions about her play and promoted Kitty Section as much as possible. When asked about inspiration for writing a play about Hawk Moth she admitted that the original idea came from her classmate, Nino Lahiffe. Mme. Chamack asked her if it were Nino’s idea to make Mayura the main character rather than her boss she would laugh and say no. Rose told Nadja she found the Peacock wielder the more mysterious of the two and thought it would be funny to write her as some executive assistant instead of a villain. She would always wink at the camera and claim it was for her girlfriend, Juleka. If she found Mme. Chamack’s questions repeated what Aurore and Mireille had asked her, she was polite enough not to say so.

After two months of being somewhat civil to each other a strange friendship began to bloom between Nino and Chloe. It had been born from their love and overprotectiveness over Adrien and grew from there. Adrien once accidentally called Chloe “Mom'' which had Nino proudly proclaim "Screw Gabriel, I'm your dad now." They had Marinette draw up a visitation schedule and after days of wrangling reluctantly agreed that it was very fair. Adrien couldn’t be happier that his best friend and his oldest friend were finally getting along. He was glad everyone else was getting to see the Chloe he always knew existed.

Now that his second attempt at directing was wildly more successful than his first, Nino was shocked by the reaction of so-called “professional directors.” At least three French directors had contacted his parents asking if he would like to intern with them next summer and he’d even received an email from Graham Films. It wasn’t meeting Steven Basilberg like he’d hoped but it was a very good start. He and Rose were also in negotiations with a well-known producer to have the play turned into a tv special. They were excited but quick to stipulate they wanted final approval on casting put in the contract.

Sabrina had grown more confident as a production assistant; Chloe trusted her friend enough that the redhead was allowed to make a lot of decisions herself. It made her less “Chloe’s gofer” and more her own person. She and Chloe talked long and hard about what their friendship meant and after several sleepovers and long talks were able to change it into something healthier.

Nathaniel’s backdrops got him noticed but the inspiration he and Marc took from working as a team with their respective classes (and Marinette’s influence) drove them to create a Chat Noir mini series that not only sold out but also sold out its second and third runs. They were also in talks to create a graphic novel based on some of Marc’s original characters. If Nathaniel noticed “The Knights of Paris” reminded him of his boyfriend’s classmates he just smiled and said nothing.

Max and Markov were also interviewed by Nadja Chamack, who was fascinated that a school play was partially produced by an AI. The robot graciously answered all of Mme. Chamack’s questions while Max gave a brief account of his best friend’s creation. The young genius quietly turned down offers to sell Markov or duplicate him but did patent his invention to avoid knockoffs. He and Mme. Mendeleiev were writing a collaborative paper about the AI and the science teacher even apologized for calling Markov a toy.

Alix and Kim were the least affected by all the new-found fame, keeping themselves occupied with dares, skating, and swimming, not necessarily in that order. Kim did receive a lot of fan mail from people thanking him for his portrayal of Hawk Moth, saying it helped them avoid akumas. Alix teased him and said it was because her frenemy had portrayed the villain as an over-the-top crybaby and not a serious threat. Kim was just happy to have helped in some way and bragged to anyone who’d listen that his girlfriend Ondine was both an athlete and a model. He was lucky to have her and he knew it.

Alix had always preferred urban art and street tagging to traditional paint and brushes but she did enjoy working with Nathaniel and painting scenery. She even replicated a few art styles, using pieces from the Louvre as references. Her father was very impressed and she won thirty euros off her brother, who didn’t think she could pull off what he called “real art.” She used the money to commission a cool skate shirt from Marinette.

With all of her class' success, Mlle. Bustier still felt unsatisfied.

Her eyes kept trailing after familiar pigtails done in pink ribbons and could only see the wide smiles shot towards Mendeleiev and the total respect and care the little noirette had towards her new teacher. Her heart clenched when she thought of the days when that look was directed at her; the look of total trust.

She thought she must be a horribly selfish person. The group play had been an amazing success. Most of her students were getting fame and amazing offers. Principal Damocles had been pleased with her work and so had the parents of her students; the ones who showed up in person, anyway. By all rights she should be amazingly happy.

Yet, she wasn’t. She’d had a nervous breakdown when her students needed her to be calm and level-headed. If it weren’t for Chloe’s quick thinking and Mylene’s natural ability the play would be a disaster and she could have been disciplined rather than commended.

The success of the play was nothing compared to the stunning showstopper that was Marinette’s fashion show. Yes, she was sure the rest of Demeter’s class helped with preparation and the modeling of course but she recognized the artistry of her former pupil in every piece, from the bee purse to the fine embroidery on the King Monkey ensemble. The whole concept was brilliant; recycling old clothes into updated fashions. Using the heroes of Paris as inspiration was guaranteed to attract attention.

Could Bustier get Marinette back? Would the suddenly successful young woman  _ want _ to return after spending two months in Demeter’s class?

When Caline was home and very much by herself, she knew that answer was no.

*****

If Bustier’s class was prospering, Mendeleiv’s class was blooming, expanding their horizons in ways they couldn’t have conceived of two months ago. Aurore and Mireille were offered their own separate shows, which they accepted on the condition they could still work together on other projects. Mireille was creating a sketch comedy show for teens with Jean. Aurore was going to be interning with Nadja Chamack over the summer. 

Zayan, Ondine, Kagami, Curtis and Marinette had all received modeling offers. Marinette refused, claiming her design work took up most of her free time but she did model some of her own clothes for her website when Juleka was unavailable. Kagami also refused and gave no reason; no one was foolish enough to ask. She and Marinette spent every Saturday afternoon hanging out; baking lessons, fencing lessons, even tea ceremony lessons with Tomoe. The master fencer was beginning to approve of her daughter’s friendship with the young designer and even donated some old  _ yukata  _ for Marinette to upcycle. 

Ondine was still on the swim team but she accepted a part-time modeling contract for a popular line of sports fashion. It was part of their “strong is also beautiful” campaign and the swimmer was generating legions of positive press. She and Zayan occasionally modeled together but he had been scouted by a company wanting to offer a more “exotic” alternative to Sunshine Boy Adrien Agreste. He turned down many starlets with a gentle smile and “my parents would prefer I wait until after university”. It was only partially true; his parents did want him to wait but would prefer he look for an arranged marriage with a young woman he was also friends with.

Curtis also accepted a modelling contract (after taking Bri’s advice and having a lawyer go over it with a fine-toothed comb). The fashion industry adored him for being “rugged” and having an “unconventional” hair color. He had a good laugh about it while raking in much-needed money for his family and plans for the future. He and Brielle spent weekends going to escape rooms and doing parkour. He proudly told anyone who’d listen how fearless and clever his girlfriend was.

What was Alicia up to after the success of the fashion show? Well, the less people know about Alicia’s goings-on, the better they’ll sleep at night.

What  _ can _ be said is, along with her stellar blackmail material she was also gathering a dossier on not only Lila’s lies since moving to Paris, but anything she’d said or done in Italy as well. The fact the fox-faced girl left a former school under a cloud of suspicion was not a surprise to the ninja of Francois Dupont.

Alicia made a point to seek out Lila in the hallways or the cafeteria. She never approached the Italian, just pointed to her own eyes then pointed to Lila. Every now and then she would give the auburn haired girl a knowing smile, just to make her fume silently. Did that little liar really think she could get away with sabotaging her class or threatening a friend? Lila could cry all the crocodile tears she wanted for Bustier or Damocles but the violet haired girl was a clever predator who was also very patient.

Alicia had no doubt sooner or later Lila’s lies would collapse under their own weight. She was just prepared to help them along.

Brielle, Bellamy, and Vivienne remained comfortably out of the spotlight for the most part. Marinette had jokingly christened them “The Blond Brigade” and if they weren’t keeping everyone out of trouble they were providing support; Vivienne’s mother was an agent and gave the kids advice about fame and choosing the right representation; being careful with the media. 

The newly famous teens only gave interviews to their classmates, save one to Marinette’s friend, Alya. She was a nice girl, if a bit pushy. They appreciated her for being their noirette’s best friend but couldn’t help but wonder why the journalist hadn’t taken her own advice and checked her facts.

Maison was having his father teach a workshop in money management and advised everyone to start a bank account for their earnings, perhaps even a trust. He was also taking bets on which of Marinette’s scores of new admirers would be the first to ask her out.

*****

A week after the fashion show Francois Dupont was more or less back to normal. The regular curriculum resumed and although there was lots of good-natured grumbling everyone more or less settled down to their old routine. There was a bit of a stir when Messrs. Fabron and D’Argencourt announced their engagement, but that was more or less “It’s about time!”

Meanwhile Marinette Dupain-Cheng was preparing to fulfill a promise; her very first interview, as herself.

_ It could be worse _ , she told herself. _ It could be Nadja Chamack or Alec Cataldi. People who barely know  _ **_or_ ** _ care about you. This is Alya, your best friend. You can just relax and be yourself around her. _

_ Yeah, right. Until Alya thinks it’s a good idea to ask questions like if I’m seeing anyone or what kind of guy I like. _

_ This will be a  _ **_professional_ ** _ interview. Alya won’t do that to you. You either trust her or you don’t. _

The noirette took a deep breath.  _ Even though we’re no longer in the same class, she’s still my best friend. I trust her. _

The designer took a few minutes to meditate and then pasted a smile on her face and pushed the door open to the art room.

Alya was already there, setting up a drop cloth as a background. Her bronze eyes lit up when she saw her best friend.

“Hey, Bestie!” the journalist stopped fussing with the drop cloth and stepped forward to give the noirette a hug. “I’ve missed you so much. How’s Mendeleiev treating you?”

“Not bad,” Mariette replied as the two girls separated. “I’m starting to make friends with my classmates. I think you’d like them too if you gave them a chance.”

“Anyone taking good care of my girl is worth knowing,” Alya smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She pretended to shudder. “That girl Vivienne is kind of scary.”

“Maybe we can all do a girl’s day so you can get to know her. Kagami too.” The noirette smiled as she thought of her “love rival” who was rapidly becoming one of her best friends.

The ombre haired girl frowned then peered at the designer as if she could read the other girl’s thoughts. “Huh. Never thought I’d see the day you and Kagami would become friends.”

Marinette smiled. “And I bet you thought you’d never live to see Chloe say something nice about me either.”

Alya nodded. “That...took me back, not gonna lie.” She grinned. “And to her credit, she does know a little about fashion. And those designs of yours were fire.” She straightened up and pointed to the two chairs set up in front of the drop cloth. “And that’s what I’ve brought you here to talk about.”

*****

Alya sat across from her best friend, centered her shot on Marinette and began to speak. “Hey, Bug-Heads! I’m branching out from my usual superhero news and on to someone who used a little recycling, some hero inspiration and a pinch of her own design savvy to create a fashion line based on the superheroes of Paris! The technique she used to create the amazing clothes I’m sure regular viewers saw me stream live is called ‘upcycling’ and with a little basic sewing knowledge, some planning, and a bit of creativity, you could learn to upcycle the clothes in your closet!”

The blogger gave her best friend a smile over her phone. “Say hello to our viewers and introduce yourself.”

_ Pretend like you’re wearing the mask. Be confident and proud.  _ The designer took a deep breath and waved. “Hello, Bug-Heads! My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng and I’m a designer!”

She had thought of adding “or I will be when I grow up” but decided against it. After all, why wait?

Alya zoomed out so the viewers could see the new outfit designed and worn by Marinette. She was wearing a sailor dress she made from an old double-breasted suit and added pink satin trim.

The journalist gave the viewers a few seconds to admire her best friend’s work and then began to ask questions. “Let me get started. You and your entire class, taught by Francois Dupont’s own Mme. Mendeleiev, were assigned to do a group project. Specifically, a fashion show, designed and organized in two months. That’s a very short amount of time, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Marinette agreed with a laugh. “Fortunately, our class has an amazing class rep, Vivienne Brisbois, and her deputy, Brielle Laurent. They’re probably the most organized people I know. They broke down every task we had into manageable pieces and kept us on task, schedule, and budget.”

“Scary good at it too.” Aly looked at her again. “Second question and this comes from regular viewer Nino Lahiffe. Were you the only one sewing?”

The designer shook her head. “No, I was really lucky with that. My new classmates, Bellamy Collete and Zayan Pasha know how to sew. Not only does Zayan make his own cosplay costumes, he’s also familiar with making armor from worbla plastic. He has a website if you want to check out his work. Bell’s pretty crafty in general. He can also knit and quilt. And cook!”

Alya grinned from behind the camera. “He sounds like quite a catch.”

Marinette smiled. This interview wasn’t nearly as scary as she thought it would be. It was just like having a conversation with her best friend. Alya was sticking with questions about subjects Marinette knew well to make her more comfortable in front of the camera. It was a good interview technique.

“Sorry to disappoint your viewers, but Bellamy’s taken. He and Vivienne have been seeing each other for weeks now. But he does have a few cousins!”

The journalist laughed and moved on. “Was it difficult to teach others how to upcycle?”

The designer thought about the question for a minute. “Yes and no. Teaching people to measure and cut was easy, but it took a few tries for everyone to remember to measure twice and mark with a tailor's chalk where to cut  _ before _ cutting. Then learning basic stitching  _ looks  _ easy...until someone forgets to guide the fabric and everything gets bunched up or rips.”

“Oh, no!” commented Alya.

“But!” Marinette reassured her friend and her audience, “that’s what seam rippers are for. Most mistakes are fixable but even if you mess up a piece, it might be able to be used in another project. Before I started teaching everyone on the actual clothes we all practiced on scrap material until everyone was comfortable working with fabric.

“Wise move,” Alya praised.

Marinette shrugged and winked at the blogger. “I’ve learned the hard way.” She playfully shook her finger at the camera. “Learn from my mistakes!”

Alya asked her next question. “How much of the work was collaborated as far as design?”

The noirette’s smile was a little rueful. “I know this sounds like bragging, but eighty percent of the designing was done by me, and the other twenty percent by the rest of my class. Jean had some great ideas about what he wanted to wear and I incorporated them into the final project. The rest of my models, especially Vivienne Brisbois, who donated some of the foundation pieces, all had input on the clothes they modeled as well.” 

The journalist smiled, even though her interviewee was the only person who could see it. “I love that you shared the creative process with your models. I wonder what other designers would think of that.”

Marinette shrugged. “I want everyone who wears my designs to like them and feel good about what they’re wearing. Plus, having someone else’s perspective can open up a whole world of possibilities you might not have considered on your own.”

Alya nodded and continued. “Were there difficulties in finding good fabric?”

The noirette’s chuckle was a little high and nervous. “Oh, a bit. We went to  _ Les Puces de Saint-Ouen  _ and spent hours pouring through every clothing stall we could think of. Fortunately there were fifteen of us so we were able to cover a lot more ground that way. We had some good luck but it still took hours.” She gave Alya’s phone a stern glare. “If you want to find good fabric, plan ahead and maybe have a group. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a closet full of clothes at home. Maybe your parents have some clothes you could use.”

“Hey, I should ask my mom and dad.” Alya commented.

“Yes! The style doesn’t matter nearly as much as the condition of the fabric.” Marinette replied.

Alya tried to remember another question. She was impressed at how relaxed and confident her bestie was during this interview, a far cry from the shy and nervous girl she’d met two years ago. She was proud but a little sad she hadn’t been around for her friend’s transformation. She felt a little jealous of “Bell, Viv, and Bri”. Marinette spoke so highly of them.

“What in your opinion was the best part of this experience?”

Marinette brightened. If Alya had thought Mari was in a good mood before that was nothing compared to the aura of happiness she was emanating now. “The design part! I know…” Marinette waved a hand. “You’re used to me talking about designing this or that.” Alya laughed. “But taking something that might be out of style but still in good shape with good material and turning it into something cool is more of a challenge than you might think. But very rewarding, especially when it forces you to be creative with something that already exists, rather than what you picture in your head.”

This got the journalist’s attention. “How so?”

“Well,” Marinette tried to explain. “When I create something from scratch, I have an image of it in my head. This image is perfect and all I have to do is draw it. Trying to design something new from an existing garment means I have to take the picture in my head and think of how to shape the clothes I already have into what I want to create. It’s a challenge and you know how much I love those!”

The two friends laughed together. “I’ve never seen you fail when it comes to fashion,” Alya told her best friend. “Sure you might panic and worry,” Marinette blushed. “But you always come up with a creative solution. That’s one of the coolest things about you.”

The noirette blushed even harder and looked up into her best friend’s eager face. She’d missed Alya. Her new class was wonderful and although she didn’t miss the blogger trying to push her into confessing her feelings to Adrien, she missed hanging out with her. Alya was one of the first people to offer her friendship after Chloe began bullying.

Marinette must have looked bored or tired because Alya said hastily, “This is my last question, I swear, girl. What do you recommend for others who want to try upgrading their old clothes?”

“Good question,” the designer spoke up and the journalist once again marveled over the change in her friend. Marinette crossed her legs again and began to answer the question.

“First of all, start with an already great garment. Look for quality material that looks good with your skin tone. Think of clothes that fit your personal style and work from there. Don’t worry about imperfections; use your creativity to work them out. Use as much of the material as you can, add design elements like pockets or sleeves. Adjust the neckline and the hemline to suit you. Don’t be afraid to be creative and if you can’t figure out what to do with a piece right away, take a break. You might think of a great idea a few days later and come back to it.”

“Or in the middle of the night,” the journalist added. “I’ve had that happen to me.”

Marinette giggled. “Oh, yeah! I have a Youtube channel where I also explain how to upcycle with step by step instructions. Look for me under the name ‘Mari Sews’.”

“I can’t wait to check it out!” Alya said. “My mom has some old chef's jackets. I bet I could make a skirt or something.”

“I bet you could too!” Marinette enthused.

The blogger laughed and turned the camera on her phone towards herself. “I’d like to thank my very special guest and bestie, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, for being on here today. For those of you who missed Marinette’s awesome fashion show, you can watch under my ‘latest videos’ tab on the Ladyblog. See ya later, Bug-Heads and stay connected!”

Alya stopped filming and put her phone back in her pocket. She stood up and Marinette stood as well. The smaller girl had barely put her feet on the ground when the journalist pulled her into a hug.

“I’m so happy for you, girl!” Alya hugged her bestie tight. It seemed as if they hadn’t spoken in months but now that the group project was over and regular classes were back in session, things could get back to normal.

Marinette pulled herself away from her friend’s embarace. “Can’t! Oxygen! Breathe! Need!” she panted and Alya laughed, not unkindly.

“Hey, what’s a little oxygen deprivation between friends?” Alya grinned, then frowned as Marinette’s phone went off. The noirette pulled out her cell and grimaced. “It’s from Mme. Chamack. There’s a break in a story she’s worked on for months and she needs me to babysit Manon.”

Her best friend sighed. “It’s just as well. I want to get this interview edited and on the Ladyblog before I start my homework.”

Marinette echoed her sigh. “I probably won’t get anything done with Hurricane Manon over.” She walked towards the door. “See you tomorrow?”

“See ya!” Alya waved to her best friend then grinned happily. She was about to help her best friend become the most sought-after designer in Europe.

*****

  
  


Meanwhile, Adrien was having an eye-opening conversation with Chloe and Nino.

“Oh my gosh!” Chloe said during giggle fits. “So this model you work with actually told a friend of his who was dealing with a liar to ‘take the high road’? That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life, Adrikins! Utterly ridiculous!”

The model was confused. “What do you mean?”

Nino picked up where Chloe left off. “Dude...that sort of advice is for dealing with the tabloids. Not some liar who’s making the dude you work with friend’s life miserable. In a case like that you can confront the liar...”

“Always my choice,” Chloe added.

“Or you tell everyone who needs to know what the liar’s doing so at least they’re aware. Just shutting up and staying quiet just means it’s gonna be worse when everyone finds out what this dude is doing. Then all the dude’s friends are gonna wonder why someone who’s supposed to be their friend didn’t warn ‘em. Not to mention when people spread lies and no one says anything or makes them stop, they’re just gonna spread more and bigger lies.”

“Oh. So it was bad advice…” Adrien looked down, feeling guilty. Maybe if he’d given Marinette better advice; if he’d nipped Lila’s lies in the bud, his “Everyday Ladybug” might still be in class with him.

Chloe laughed. “It sounds like the kind of thing Oncle Gabriel would tell you. Great designer but he has no idea how to talk to people.”

Adrien wanted to change the subject but hesitated. If they made fun of him for his advice then they were going to have a field day with his love life. Well, it wasn’t as if he could talk to Marinette right now.

“There’s this...girl…”

*****

When Alya happened upon the unlikely trio of Adrien, Chloe, and Nino, she noticed they weren’t as upbeat as they usually were when they were having “family time”. Chloe looked angry, Nino disappointed, and Adrien guilty and confused. His expression reminded the journalist of when the twins did something wrong and made Nora or her mother angry but weren’t sure what they did.

“Hey, fam,” she greeted as she approached them. “So what’s new?”

“Our child has the most abhorrent taste in women,” Chloe sniffed.

“Hey!” Adrien yelled, defensive.

Alya gave her boyfriend a confused stare and Nino explained. “Adrien was just telling us how he wants to ask Kagami out again. He’s thinking of dating her and if things go well for awhile, asking her to be his girlfriend.”

All of the good emotions the blogger felt after a successful interview fled. “What,” she asked, voice flat and emotionless.

Chloe glared at Nino. “ _ Your son  _ got so hot and bothered at seeing Kagami’s abs at Dup-I mean, Marinette’s fashion show that he’s lost all reason.”

Not to be outdone, the DJ glared back. “Well, Chloe, maybe you should tell  _ your son  _ that Gabriel Agreste is a dog shit pile of a human being and Adrien shouldn’t be defending him!”

Chloe huffed. “I’m working on that, Nino!”

Adrien looked from his “parents” to Alya. “I don’t suppose anyone cares about hearing  _ my _ thoughts on my own love life?”

“No!” chorused all three of his friends and they looked at each other in surprise. 

The two boys looked at each other wide eyed, then back at the girls. “I can’t believe it,” Adrien whispered.

“Has this ever happened before?” Nino asked.

The model shook his head in wonder. “No. As far as I can remember, Alya and Chloe have never agreed on anything, even the color of the sky. And of all things to agree on, it’s my love life.”

Alya glanced at Chloe. “I wouldn’t say never. After all, Chloe and I agreed that Marinette’s designs were pretty good during the fashion show.”

Chloe flipped her hair. “Well, the Queen Bee outfit at least.  _ I  _ could have modeled it better than  _ Aurore  _ but Marinette did a good job with the models she had available.”

The journalist wanted to tease Chloe about finally using her bestie’s first name, but decided she could let it slide in light of Adrien about to ruin his life by dating Francois Dupont’s new Ice Queen. “So, why Kagami?”

Adrien couldn’t believe he was already having to defend a hypothetical relationship. “Father and her mother are friends. We both take fencing classes together and I escort her at events where we both have to make public appearances on behalf of our family businesses. We have a lot in common!”

Chloe laughed at her oldest friend. “Really, Adrikins? If just being forced to be perfect by a controlling, yet neglectful parent was enough to build a relationship, you and I would be engaged by now. “

Alya laughed and looked at Adrien. “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but Chloe makes a good point.”

Chloe preened while Adrien mock pouted. “You’re not my  _ real  _ mom,” he said.

Alya stuck her tongue out at him while the model continued. “I’d like for you all to remember this is  _ my _ life, not yours…”

“Not if Gabriel Agreste has anything to say about it. And he does,” Chloe snarked. 

Adrien glared. “And I’m not talking about a lifetime commitment. Or even a short term commitment. I’m just talking about one date, with the possibility of others in the future.”

“You have to be careful with that, my dude-son,” Nino told him solemnly. “I don’t know Kagami very well but I  _ do _ know girls can take dating pretty seriously. If you ask her out, and you guys date for awhile, she might expect a commitment.”

The two girls nodded in agreement. “Adrikins, I’ve accepted that I’m better off being a mother to you than a girlfriend but that doesn’t mean I want you dating just  _ anyone.”  _ Chloe’s expression was almost soft. “And definitely not someone just because you know Gabriel would approve. I want you to be happy with the right person. Someone who realizes how lucky she is to be with such a sweetie like you. Someone who won’t run your life for you, you’ve had enough of that.” Chloe’s expression hardened again. “And master fencer or not, if she tries to boss you around, isolate you from your friends, or  _ breaks your heart,  _ they will never find what’s left of her.”

Adrien gulped and looked around, hoping Alya or Nino would laugh and say Chloe was joking or dispute her. Unfortunately, both were wearing the same hard look. Alya was the first to notice his scared expression.

“Look, Adrien, we can’t really tell you not to date Kagami, as much as some of us might want to.” Chloe huffed but was ignored. “We  _ can _ tell you to be careful, with  _ her _ heart as well as yours.” Alya’s smile was kind. “But,” she added sternly, “ _ before _ you decide to get serious with her or anyone,  _ we  _ have to meet and evaluate her to make sure she’s right for you.”

The model could only imagine what Kagami would think of having to run through a gauntlet of his friends to be his significant other. “Isn’t that a little harsh?”

Chloe “hmphed” in disdain. “Any girl who couldn’t face us for your love doesn’t deserve it.”

Adrien really couldn’t tell if they were serious or just messing with him but he really didn’t want to talk about dating anymore. “Who do you think  _ would _ be worthy? Speaking hypothetically, of course.” He sighed. He knew they meant well but he wished the people who claimed to care for him would give him control of his own life. “I don’t think you guys think any girl is good enough for me.”

Nino smiled, feeling empathy towards his best friend. “Dude, take it from me. No parent ever thinks  _ anyone _ is good enough for their precious baby.” He shuddered as he remembered the first time he met Alya’s father. The man told him point blank that if he were ever less than a gentleman towards his daughter, he’d be fed to panthers. Nino had laughed but he was the only person in the room who had.

“We’re just selective, but not impossible to please, Adrikins,” Chloe reassured him. “It’s all about standards and criteria.”

“Which are?” Adrien questioned. He had a feeling he would regret asking later.

The trio just stared at him, stumped.

_ Marinette,  _ Alya wanted to say but stopped herself. She wasn’t completely sure her bestie was still into Adrien any more. Plus, the day at the wax museum didn’t go as planned so she decided to try subtlety. “The perfect girl for you would be warm. And kind. The kind of girl you could be yourself around.”

“She couldn’t be a golddigger or a social climber,” Chloe added. “You deserve someone who would love the  _ real _ Adrien, not fame or money.”

“Someone who could make you laugh when you’re bummed,” Nino smiled, thinking of his girlfriend. “The kinda girl you could imagine building a family with in the future. Someone who would make you feel like a part of her family.”

“Someone who wouldn’t boss you around or let you walk all over her. A partner, an equal,” Alya thought about it. “Someone fun.”

“Someone who’ll sit and watch anime with you. Someone who actually knows what you’re talking about,” Chloe said.

“Right,” Adrien allowed himself to be just a little bit sarcastic around his “family”. “And where will I find this paragon of kindness and humor?”

“So, anyway, what are you doing on Saturday?”

“I’m going to Les Puces with my friend Kagami. We’re going to look for more clothes for projects. We have some ideas for party dresses we want to try out.”

“Hey, we could help you carry stuff!”

Blue eyes sparkled as a pretty pink mouth curved into a smile. “I’m pretty sure we can handle it. But thanks anyway.”

“So what about Sunday?”

Marinette had made the mistake of walking past the gym on her way out and waving at new friends just after fencing practice ended. Now she was being beleaguered by three members of the team begging for a date. “Sorry, but I promised some friends I’d hang out on their houseboat-”

“Aw, you can do that any time.”

“Well, my friend Luka only has Sunday off… I’m sorry, guys I really have to get home...”

Adrien was about to intervene on his friend’s behalf. She looked good in the navy sailor dress she was wearing. Her hair was up in a bun and the pink trim brought out her bluebell eyes. He was sure she made the dress herself and had no idea how pretty she looked.

He was stopped by a tall red blur. “Back, you heathens, back!” Curtis was playfully swatting at his friends on the fencing team. “Back, Joseph! Back, Geoffrey! Back, Jerome!”

“I’m  _ James!”  _ protested a tall pale skinned dark haired boy.

Curtis rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, not just anyone can date  _ my _ little sister!”

Marinette stopped and glowered up at her tall friend. “Is that a height joke,  _ brother dear _ ?”

The tall redhead froze and was reminded of a line from Shakespeare: “Though she be but little she is fierce.” “Hey, it’s not a height joke, you’re three months younger than me.”

“Ah,” Marinette seemed satisfied and looked over and saw Alya, Chloe, and Adrien. “Hey, guys!” She waved.

“There you are...Marinette.” Chloe swept past her “family” and swooped in, looping her arm around the designer’s and pulling her safely away from her admirers. “I need to talk to you about when you can do my fitting.”

*****

Chloe led the designer to a quiet stairwell. Both girls looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping then relaxed.

Marinette took the initiative and began to speak. “I’m busy this weekend but I can take your measurements on Monday after school. I can even come to  _ Grand Paris _ if that’s easier for you. But, I have to be home in fifteen minutes to babysit, so...”

Chloe nodded. “It would, thanks.” She took a deep breath and then looked the shorter girl in the eye. “Now I’d like to talk about what I really wanted to say to you, Marinette. Don’t worry, I only need five minutes.”

The designer frowned. “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate it, but it’s still strange for me to hear you call me by my first name.”

The blond shrugged. “It’s a recent development. Working on that group assignment made me realize some things about myself, good and bad. I realized I’m good at organizing and delegating people.” She smiled then frowned a bit. “I also learned that if I want to be worthy of the trust Ladybug placed in me by letting me be Queen Bee again when she needs me, I have to be better outside of the mask as well.”

The noirette blinked in surprise. She almost wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming but didn’t want to take the chance. “Wait, what?”

Chloe held up a hand for silence. “Just...let me get through this. If you keep interrupting me I’ll lose my confidence.” She tried to laugh but it just made her sound nervous. “I’ll probably go back to being a bitch to you.”

Marinette opened her mouth to argue but closed it with a snap. Now wasn’t the time to ask questions. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows to show the other girl she was listening.

The blond took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began to speak. “I know...I’ve been awful to you for years. You did nothing to earn it, except have parents who loved you and be happy. That, and you’re pretty talented and creative.” Chloe’s voice became wistful. “It always seemed you were good at everything I wasn’t; designing, baking…” the blonde looked a little misty-eyed and the noirette kindly pretended not to notice, “...making friends.”

The usually arrogant Mlle. Bourgeois wrapped her arms around herself as if cold. To Marinette, it made the blond look like she was trying to make herself smaller, unnoticed. "I hurt you, a lot; and it's been brought up to me that I probably did it more than I thought it did. I know an apology doesn't change our history, but I need you to know that I'm working on being better. On  _ doing _ better.”

Moisture was beginning to pool at the corner of Chloe’s eyes but she held herself together. “You don't have to forgive me, I understand if you don't. I just need you to know that I'm sorry for everything, you didn't deserve me taking out my frustrations and jealousy on you like I did."

Chloe stopped speaking and drew herself up taller; looking very stiff and afraid and trying not to show it.

Marinette decided it was her turn to speak. “I...appreciate your apology, but I can’t say I forgive you yet for what you’ve done.”

The blonde looked disappointed but not surprised. She was no doubt expecting to be rejected. “That’s fair. Like I said, you didn't need to, but you deserved to have an apology anyway.”

She turned and was about to walk away when a very gentle but strong hand stopped her. Chloe stopped and turned around, looking back at Marinette in surprise.

Marinette’s smile was gentle, her eyes kind. She looked up at Chloe and for once didn’t see the mean girl who bullied her and made her life miserable for fun but a little girl. A little girl who watched her mother walk out of her life for the sake of her career. That little girl’s only solace was her only friend and a teddy bear. Her tender heart broke for that lonely little girl.

“But you know?” the noirette said, “I think I could someday. And I think I would like to put our past behind us one day. If you’re willing to work to be better.”

Chloe smiled and it wasn’t smug or vain. It was a side of Chloe that only Ladybug or maybe Sabrina got to see. Someone who sincerely wanted to be a hero; not for the attention but because she wanted someone to be proud of her for being herself. It was a rare moment of vulnerability and Marinette was touched. Chloe was beginning to trust others enough to show her better side in public.

“You know,” Marinette said, “I think I’d like to be friends one day with  _ this  _ Chloe.”

The blond gave her a weak smile. “The blubbering Chloe?”

“The kind Chloe,” Marinette countered. “The Chloe who has a heart and can share it with people.” The noirette gave in to impulse and wrapped one arm over the blonde’s shoulder in a half-hug. The blonde leaned into the embrace for a full thirty seconds and pulled away.

“Ok, enough of the mushy stuff and sharing our feelings.” Sweet Chloe was gone and Snarky Chloe was back. She turned to leave and this time the noirette didn’t stop her. “I expect your usual exceptional work, Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette chuckled to herself and made her way home. Yes, some things about Chloe would never change but she looked forward to seeing the things that could.

*****

Back in his cold, loveless, but incredibly kickass bedroom, Adrien was brushing his hair. He checked his appearance in the bathroom mirror, brushed it again, and finally put his brush down, satisfied.

Plagg popped out of his pocket, glancing from the boy’s reflection back to his Chosen. “Are you planning on going somewhere, or have you finally become a narcissist?”

Adrien rolled his eyes, used to his kwami’s rudeness. “I’m going to go visit Marinette.” He grinned at his reflection. “Or rather, Chat Noir is.”

The tiny god sighed and silently begged for patience. It was the skating rink all over again. “Not this again!” He looked at his kitten. “Kid, I thought you’d finally settled on Kagami.” 

The model went back to fussing with his hair. “I have!”

The kwami tilted his head and gave his Chosen a skeptical look. “Then why the sudden urge to go see Pigtails?”

“She’s my friend,” Adrien replied as if it were obvious. “I haven’t been able to see her much over the past two months. I’ve missed her.” The boy’s smile dropped and he had that melancholy look on his face Plagg recognized from when his kitten was missing his mother. He thought he’d have to try to cheer the boy up but the model just scowled at his reflection. “Besides, it’ll be nice to talk to someone  _ sane _ today.”

Plagg thought of all the things Tikki had told him Pigtails had done to get his Chosen’s attention. “Debatable,” he muttered.

The boy wasn’t listening to him. “Plagg? Claws out!”

*****

Marinette was busy adapting an old 1980s wedding gown into a party dress when she heard a familiar tapping on her skylight. She turned off her sewing machine and opened her trapdoor to allow her late night visitor to come in. Smiling, she asked, “Hungry?”

The cat hero’s smile was grateful. “Always. I’m a growing boy after all.”

The designer grinned and went downstairs, leaving Chat Noir to look around her room. She’d taken down a few more of his model shots and replaced them with the original designs from her show, along with a few articles about her class and, to his surprise and delight, articles about his class’ play, especially ones that talked about Mylene’s or Kim’s performance. The sight made him smile; she still cared, even with her new friends, she never forgot her buddies in Bustier’s class. She was probably just as excited for Mylene’s and Kim’s success as she would her own, maybe more. 

It was a comforting thought, even though he now had to share her warmth and enthusiasm with Mendeleiev’s class. At least Kagami was in there too, he was glad to see that two of his favorite girls (the ones without superpowers anyway) were becoming such good friends. Maybe he, Kagami, Marinette and maybe Luka could double date sometime. Oh sure, there were a lot of guys interested in her now but he thought the guitarist would be better for his good friend. Luka was pretty cool, not to mention calm and wise. He’d be a good balance for the young designer’s flights of fancy.

Chat Noir lay on Marinette’s pink chaise and relaxed, his feet dangling over the edge. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scents of the bakery, the flowers on the balcony and smell he couldn’t quite place, probably his friend’s personal scent. He felt the stress of the past few months, with its upheaval and Lila drama fade away. Being around Marinette was exactly what he needed. Her room always made him feel warm and safe. Loved, almost. It wasn’t like his house, with its rules and memories. He felt nothing but good feelings here.

_ I never want to leave. _

“I’m back!”

The cat-themed hero sat up and tried to pretend he hadn’t been sniffing the air in her room in some weird attempt at aromatherapy. He grinned as he saw the laden plate she carried for him with a delicately balanced thermos in the middle.

“It’s a little chilly, so I made you some tea,” Marinette told him as she handed him the plate. He set the thermos aside and began to dig into the food.

“You’re a merciful angel and I’m blessed to know you,” he replied between bites. The salmon and spinach quiche was wonderful and the croissants might not have been on his diet plan but he loved them.

Marinette laughed and he was surprised at how comfortable she was around him, no blush or stammer. She had been like this around his civilian persona as well and it made him happy to know her recent success had given her more confidence even as she stayed humble.

“I’ll tell my dad you said so,” Marinette nudged him over and they sat together.

He finished his meal and wiped his hands on the napkin she provided. “The best baker in Paris continues to impress.”

She bumped her shoulder against his. “You don’t have to keep flattering me to make me happy. I’d still feed you.”

Chat Noir grinned. “But it won’t make you unhappy, right?”

Marinette laughed again. “Silly kitty.”

Her smile reminded him of his partner and after his new resolution to pursue Kagami, he’d rather not think of her. 

He decided to change the subject. “I saw your fashion show on the Ladyblog. It was amazing!” He grinned at her proudly. “Very cool and eco-conscious, incorporating recycling with fashion. The hero-themed clothes were-” he kissed his fingertips and then tossed his hand dramatically from his lips-” _ parfait _ !” 

She just giggled at his overdramatic praise, a nice change of pace from Ladybug’s usual eye roll. “Thanks again for the great idea.”

Chat Noir smiled at her. His sincere, gentle smile. “Yeah, well, you’re the brilliant designer who made it work.”

She surprised him by laying her head on his shoulder and giving him a little squeeze. “I had help, silly boy. My class is amazing!”

He tried not to wince when she called Mendeleiev’s students “my class”. They weren’t her “new class” any more. It made her departure from Bustier’s sound permanent. He tried to swallow his sudden resentment. “Tell me about them.”

It had been the right thing to say. Marinette lifted her head off his shoulder and smiled into his eyes. “They’re great!” She started to bubble with enthusiasm. “I already knew some of them because they were in Mlle. Bustier’s class with me years ago but I’m also making new friends like Bellamy and Vivienne too! Also it helps that my friend Kagami is there as well. She just transferred in from another school, so it’s good she already knew me, it helped ease her transition.”

He loved seeing her like this, so enthusiastic. It was a far cry from the sad creature who desperately begged him to tell the principal the blond believed his friend and not Lila. That little imp had tried everything to ingratiate herself in with the class and make Marinette feel isolated and unwanted. In contrast, Mendeleiev’s class had done everything in their power to make his friend feel welcome and wanted and he tried not to feel jealous of them. Marinette was a generous person who made friends easily; they couldn’t help loving her.

“Bellamy knits. He’s made blankets for everyone in class so if they’re feeling down or angry they can wear the blanket and feel better.”

Chat Noir was impressed with the other boy's ingenuity. “Like a shock blanket after an emergency.”

“Yes!” Marinette agreed and surprised her companion by laying a hand on his. “Bell’s dad is a firefighter and that’s where he got the idea. Did you know only two people in Mme. Mendeleiev’s class has been akumatized? And none after they started using the blankets and other coping strategies. Really, Bell should give a TED talk. A lot of people could use his techniques.”

The cat-themed hero was impressed. “Yeah. I’ll ask Ladybug about coordinating with him. Maybe we could put a how-to video on the Ladyblog or YouTube.”

The noirette smiled again and he basked in her approval. “That’s a great idea, Chat! The more people who know these techniques, the less they can be used by Hawk Moth.”

Chat Noir tried not to feel sorry for himself, for _ Adrien _ . “This is the happiest I’ve seen you in a while.”

The designer shrugged. “Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve had reasons to be this happy.” Her expression became serious. “You’ve dealt with akuma from Francois Dupont. A lot, actually.” She sighed. “Most, if not all of them, came from my old class. Mlle. Bustier’s class.”

He nodded. “I remember you told me your teacher wanted to move you out of her class because of some lying girl.”

He burned with anger and shame. Anger as he remembered the actions that led to his friend’s expulsion. Anger at his teacher for not even asking for a doctor’s note or outing the “cheater” in front of the whole class. Shame that he hadn’t done more to warn his friends about Lila's lies. Shame that he didn’t point out the inconsistencies in Lila’s lies. Why didn’t he insist that the answer key be dusted for fingerprints or have Lila checked out by the school nurse? No one who fell downstairs escaped without bruises.

Marinette nodded sadly, lost in memories. “I didn’t realize until after I was in a healthy classroom with a responsible adult how toxic my old class had been. With some exceptions,” she hastened to add, “my friends Alya, Nino and Adrien always believed me.”

Her smile was soft and sweet and he felt warmed, knowing she had faith in him. “I bet you believe in them too.”

“I do,” she looked at him and he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her eyes were. Well, to be honest, all of her was pretty. He especially liked the dusting of freckles across her nose. They saved her from looking too perfect. Flawless people were boring; he preferred to be around people like her.

Chat Noir smiled again and he hoped she wouldn’t notice it wasn’t completely happy. He realized he couldn’t cling to the noirette as his emotional support any more. He had Alya, Chloe, and Nino as a sort of “found family”. Maybe he and Marinette weren’t meant to be the close friends he wanted them to be, but they would always be friends. He should let go and learn to share her. That was the right thing to do for everyone.

Marinette stood and he stood with her. To his surprise, she took his hands in hers. Her face tilted up and she smiled, taking his breath away. It was dazzling and he marveled as her inner confidence and happiness transformed her from pretty to beautiful. There was a light and warmth radiating from her. This was no shy, stammering princess in need of protection. The girl before him was a monarch who took care of everyone around her. It reminded him of the day Darkblade laid siege to the mayor’s office and she took command, directing her class to barricade the doors and windows. She also made a speech about why they should vote for her and he’d found himself mesmerized by the strong leader side of his classmate.

She looked into his eyes and for a moment, they were the only people who existed. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you for always being on my side. You always seem to know what I need to hear. You’re a wonderful friend, Chat Noir. I’m...I’m sure Ladybug is glad to have you as a partner.”

Chat Noir was feeling very warm all of a sudden and he tried to deflect by cracking a joke. “Yeah, well, I’m just in charge of the humor department. And the charm.”

She laughed and said kindly and gently, “You know you’re more important to her than that. You’re one of the few people she can trust. She depends on you. You’re her partner, friend, and equal. She’s very lucky to have you and I bet she knows it.”

Marinette dropped his hands and wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him in for a tight hug. Her body was warm and soft and she smelled like vanilla and strawberries today. He breathed her in as he hugged her back. He was suddenly reminded of the time they danced together and they had held each other like this. It was...wonderful.

She pulled away and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “ _ I’m _ lucky to have you too, by the way. I’m glad we’re friends.” She giggled up at him and he was charmed. “Even though you’ll eventually eat me out of house and home.” Marinette poked him playfully in the stomach.

His friend was so warm and kind and newly confident. All she needed was proficiency in martial arts and fencing and she’d be…

...everything he liked in a girl.

_ Oh, no. _

_ Sweet kwami, I’m in trouble! _

“Well, I’d better get going,” he reluctantly separated himself from his suddenly very attractive, nearly irresistible friend. “Busy life of a superhero and all that.”

“Damsels in distress, ladies in waiting. I remember,” she agreed. Still smiling she asked, “you’re always welcome to stop by. Maybe you can come over for brunch again. No tears or tantrums this time. I promise,” she said, raising her hand.

He paused and looked back at her. “I’ll let you know.” He promised and gave her one last gentle, sincere smile. With his usual two-fingered salute, he was through the trap door and gone.

Marinette shook her head fondly as she gathered up the plate and the thermos he’d left behind. He really was a sweetheart when he wasn’t flirting at the worst times or cracking lame puns. “Is it just me, or is Chat Noir beginning to grow up a little?”

Tikki zipped out of her hiding place. “He does seem a little more mature than he used to.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe he’s become so comfortable with Marinette, he’s showing you the parts of himself he hides from Ladybug.”

The Chosen smiled at her kwami. Now that she was no longer quite as blinded by Adrien, she was beginning to see her partner in a new light. “I could learn to like this new Chat Noir. He’s mature, thoughtful, and sensitive. It’s refreshing to see this side of him.”

The tiny goddess grinned to herself, remembering the day she saw who Chat Noir really was. “Like or  _ like  _ like?”

“Quiet, you,” Marinette countered but the kwami saw the girl’s blush.

Meanwhile Chat Noir was vaulting over buildings and running across rooftops in an attempt to cool the sudden heat that flared with him.

_ When the hell did Marinette get so  _ **_hot_ ** _?! _

*****

“Kid? Kid? Kid? Adrien? Can you hear me? Earth calling Adrien, come in, please.”

Adrien lay in the middle of his bed on his back, eyes wide and unseeing. Plagg kept poking his cheek in an attempt to pull his Chosen out of his own little world.

Instead of answering, the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a wedge of Camembert. The kwami took it from his fingers and gulped it down. Then he started poking his wielder’s cheek again. “Adrien...Adrien...pay attention to me, Adrien…”

Once again the blond reached into his pocket for more cheese but found it empty. The glazed look left his eyes and he blinked, looking at his kwami as if he’d forgotten the little god existed. “Um, sorry, I seem to be out.”

“Ya already gave me five wedges, kid.” At the boy’s look of surprise he shrugged. “I was trying to get your attention but I’m not going to turn down free cheese if you keep offering it.”

“Plagg?” Adrien murmured, “I think I’m totally fucked.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” his kwami replied.

The blond felt a little relieved, smiling a bit. “Thank you.”

The little god looked at him, acid green eyes narrowing in amusement. “Kitten, you are so beyond fucked that it will take fifty light-years for you to reach ‘fucked’ .”

Adrien scowled at him. “Gee, thanks. I feel so comforted now. I appreciate the pep talk.”

Plagg landed on the boy’s stomach. He’d had similar conversations before, with hundreds of other kittens. He never looked forward to it, but _ this _ kid needed even more guidance because his dirtbag of a father never discussed sexuality or courtship with his son. Did he think if he didn’t educate his son then the child would never wonder about sex or dating? Maybe the man thought technology would do it for him. The boy certainly had enough “research” saved in a file he thought his kwami didn’t know about.

The boy groaned and covered his eyes. “Plagg, I thought I finally had everything figured out. Ladybug will never see me as anything more than her friend and partner and I was trying to be content with that and let her go. Kagami is amazing and we get along so well. My father would finally let me date someone. We have so much in common and I genuinely have fun with her. And then…”

“Marinette smiled at you?” Plagg reminded him.

Adrien sighed and let his arms flop on the bed. “How did I never notice how pretty she is? Beautiful even, when she smiles.” The boy smiled himself as he remembered how her grin lit up her whole face.

Plagg facepalmed as best he could with his tiny paws. “Teenagers are the worst creation period, but don’t tell Sugar Cube I said that. She thinks you guys running around acting twitterpated is cute.”

The blond boy didn’t say anything, he just continued to stare up at the ceiling and wallow in his conflicting emotions.

The little god decided  _ he _ would have to be the mature one. He hated playing the mature mentor. Sugar Cube was much better at it but his other half wasn’t there.

“Kid, you are a kid, and this is the first time you’ve dealt with more people than just Blondie or those models your dad picks. It’s okay to have conflicting feelings or feelings for more than one person because you’re unsure.”

“You’re right,” Adrien conceded. The logical part of his brain agreed with the kwami. His emotions, on the other hand, were muddled and contradictory. “But...I’m lonely.”

There was still a Mom-shaped hole in his heart and his father kept him isolated when he was at home. Only Chloe or Kagami were allowed to visit and that was only by appointment. He wanted to be able to go on dates and have inside jokes and...make out. Like other kids his age got to do.

Plagg flew into his Chosen’s face, exasperated and more than a little hurt. “What am I, bad processed cheese?! Didn’t Blondie and Cap Boy claim you as family? Isn’t the reporter girl your step-mom? You have good friendships growing with those three. If you can’t deal with people as friends any romance you attempt will end in tragedy.”

Adrien looked surprised as his kwami continued to give him startlingly good advice. Plagg wasn’t finished yet.

“It’s like that rooftop picnic you planned for Ladybug. You jump in head first without having a plan or knowing what you’re getting yourself into. Cats no matter what can land on their feet because they adjust accordingly. You need to learn how to land on your feet.”

The boy just stared at the little god wide-eyed but the kwami continued. “Besides, kid, how well do you know Ladybug? Or Sword Girl? Or Baker Girl? Do you know their dreams? What they would do with a million euros? What’s their favorite place? Their favorite story? Do they like soft or hard cheese? Salty or sweet? Do you know the deepest, darkest thoughts of either of them? How can you really love someone if you don’t know them? You need to be  _ friends _ with a girl first. Like me and my Sugar Cube.” He sighed with nostalgia. “It took a few millennia for us to like each other, then another million years to become best friends but we’ve been very happy for the past thirteen trillion years.”

Adrien grinned, both at Plagg’s soft loving expression and his thoughtful advice. “That’s...very wise of you, Plagg.”

The little god groomed himself proudly. “If you need advice, my office hours are after sunset until I get bored. I accept payment in camembert but in a pinch, I’ll accept brie.”

Wielder and Kwami looked at each other and smiled, settling into a comfortable silence. Finally Plagg shook off his thoughtful mentor mood and became his usually snarky self. “Ok, kitten, enough of the therapy session. I’ll leave you with one more thought; Get your mind out of the gutter and take it slow kid. If you just rush for kisses and stuff you’re just gonna mess up and hurt yourself and whoever you’re supposed to be in love with.”

Adrien nodded. His kwami had just given him better advice in ten minutes than his own father had given him in two years. “Thank you, Plagg.”

The kwami rolled his eyes to hide the fact he was touched by his Chosen’s gratitude. “Yeah, you’re welcome, kid. Well, time for bed if you want to be even half-conscious for your fencing and Chinese lessons tomorrow. Go take a shower and go to bed.”

His Chosen gave him a scritch under the chin. “Thanks, Plagg. He left his kwami and headed towards the bathroom.

Plagg waited until the door was almost closed before calling out, “Better make it a  _ cold _ shower.”

“ **_Plagg_ ** !”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Fashion Upgrade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma. Everyone gets karma at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over! Woo! Profanity warning.

**Ch. 10.5 “Fashion Upgrade”**

After a week the ink had finally faded enough for Lila to return to school. Her alarm went off twice before she finally opened her eyes and reluctantly got dressed and ready to face her classmates.

She’d rather ride through Paris dressed as Mister Banana.

Lila had forced herself to watch the play while she was stuck at home waiting for the ink on her face to fade. She’d watched it several times actually, because she had nothing better to do than to torture herself with what might have been. She had hoped the play would have been a horrific disaster but instead it was a huge success that helped drag that dumpy little nobody and that loud-mouthed braggart into the spotlight.

The Italian hated to admit it, and she never would unless it benefitted her in some way but Mylene wasn’t bad. She was snarky and caustic, often insulting her supervillain boss right to his face. The girl with the multicolored braids gained the audience’s sympathy while making it acceptable to laugh at Hawk Moth’s numerous failures. She’d even laughed herself once or twice.

The play went off without a hitch, even starting on time and earning a standing ovation from the audience. There were no flubs, no missed cues, and everyone knew their lines. In short, everything went fine, even without her there.

She hated it, hated the play, her stupid classmates, and her useless teacher.

_ It’s not fair. _

And to make matters worse, that frizzy-haired reporter, who she thought was becoming her “best friend” not only uploaded it to her frankly amateur blog but the school’s website as well. Her mother had seen it and wondered why her daughter wasn’t the star like she’d been bragging about for weeks. Lila had quickly spun a tale to satisfy her mother’s curiosity; she had the lead but knew her understudy was talented but incredibly shy. The other girl just needed an opportunity to show her talent to the world and Lila had provided one. She’d pretended to be ill the night of the play, willingly stepping back so someone else could have a chance to shine. Her mother had praised her selflessness. Lila pretended to modestly accept her acclaim.

_ It should have been me. It  _ **_would_ ** _ have been me, if it weren’t for that meddlesome bitch from Mendeleiev’s class. It was probably Marinette’s idea. Damn them all!” _

If the success of the play without her performance pissed her off, then seeing the young designer’s wildly victorious fashion show made her  _ furious _ . 

The show made good use of recycling to appeal to the tree-huggers and gave it some eco-prestige. She was expecting a bland parade of ugly clothes made from recycled materials; probably from old yoga mats or something.

Instead, all of the clothes created by her hated rival were...gorgeous. Sure, they were inspired by the super goody-goodies of Paris but damn if she wouldn’t wear any of them, even the clothes for guys. It hurt her to admit it, but Marinette was incredibly talented, even creative. She’d thought making the noirette create a fashion show in two months would have pushed the other girl into having a nervous breakdown but instead she hadn’t. No, the little brat must be one of those weirdos who thrived on challenge and used it to succeed. She could have kicked herself for not researching Mendeleiev’s class before making her suggestion. They probably sewed clothes on the weekends for orphans or for disaster relief. Some sort of practical, bleeding heart crap.

Everything she had done over the past two months had blown up in her face like that damn ink trap. She scowled at her reflection then put on her most charming smile. Time to take her kingdom back.

*****

When she arrived back in school she expected a warm welcome from her followers...er...friends. But no one was waiting to hear her tales in the courtyard and when she arrived in class everyone was too busy talking in small groups to even notice her entrance.

“Good morning, everyone!” she sang out as she walked past Mlle. Bustier’s still empty desk. 

No one even paused to acknowledge her. Annoyed, she stalked her way up the stairs until she reached her seat. “Good morning, everyone!” she said, louder this time.

Only a few heads turned towards her. “Good morning, Lila,” they answered. They seemed uninterested in her and went back to their conversation.

The Italian took her usual spot beside Alya and tried not to look put out. The ombre haired girl turned to look at her. “You seem better.” The journalist smiled and looked like her usual nosy self but the fox-faced girl could see a glint of pity in her deskmate’s eyes.

“ _ Much  _ better,” Lila agreed with a smile. “At least it was only a week this time. Just a few shots and I’m back to my old self. At least it wasn’t like the time in Fiji where I developed an allergy to a rare tropical insect. Ugh! At least I was able to pass the time by learning to code from this man who helped found Apple…”

“Hospitalized. That really sucks, Lila.” Nino barely looked up from his phone.

Alya also turned her attention back to her phone, which increased Lila’s frustration. She knew they couldn’t be talking to each other, so what the hell was so interesting?

The Italian tried to draw the DJ and the journalist into conversation. “So...what did I miss? I heard the play went well.”

That got Nino’s attention. “Well doesn’t even begin to cover it, dudette. It was phenomenal! Me, Rose, Mylene and Kim all got interviewed for a tv show! Mylene and Kim have gotten acting offers from all over France and I’m going to intern with a movie studio next summer!”

The look of joy in his honey colored eyes was turning Lila’s stomach. “That’s so great! Congratulations, Nino.”

“Marinette let me interview her after the success of  _ her _ show. Technically, it was her  _ class’ _ show but we all know she was the creative force behind it. I don’t think traffic for the Ladyblog has  _ ever _ been this high,” Alya commented. “Not even my exclusive with you  _ or _ Ladybug has brought in this much traffic. People are loving Marinette’s hero inspired clothes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adrien’s dad offered her a contract any day now.”

Nino laughed and looked back at his girlfriend fondly. “If he doesn’t, I bet there’s at least a dozen other designers in France alone who would.”

“And who’s to say she couldn’t just start her own fashion house?” Adrien spoke up for the first time since Lila entered the classroom but he still didn’t look up. “Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale have said publicly that if Marinette needed them to they’d be happy to invest.”

“You missed it. Jagged declared himself to be Marinette’s uncle and her parents adopted him as her dad’s younger bro,” Nino informed Lila and she dearly wanted to scream.

Mentioning the two celebrities  _ did _ give her an idea. “Aren’t Jagged and Clara the best? They both sent fruit baskets because they know I don’t handle flowers well. And Prince Ali video chatted with me when I had trouble sleeping. He’s the sweetest boy in the world.” She sighed, hoping to make Adrien jealous. Having rivals for your affections made boys want you more, right?

“It’s nice that they care,” Alya offered kindly when Lila’s target didn’t take the bait.

_ Nice? That’s all you have to say? Nice? A week ago you would be pressuring me for the “deets” as you call it, now all you have to say is “it’s nice”. _

The Italian was beginning to think the reporter had come to the end of her usefulness. Maybe she should have concentrated on befriending Marinette and not have rushed to impress Adrien. He wasn’t as easy to manipulate as she thought he would be.

She reached forward, trying to touch Adrien and was surprised when he moved out of the way of her grasping fingers without ever looking up. “Do you need something?” he asked. His voice was cold and reminded her of his father’s. The disapproving tone was pitch perfect.

Lila pretended to be confused and hurt. “I didn’t mean to bother you, I was just curious.”

“Mmm-hmm,” he replied but she could hear the unspoken  _ liar.  _ “I’m texting Kagami to see if she’s free any time on Saturday.”

“Like for a date?” the fox-faced girl replied loudly. If she was hoping to embarrass the blond model she failed miserably. None of her classmates were paying attention; four people were clustered around Mylene and Rose and Juleka were giggling about who knows what. No one even seemed to care that she was back.

“Exactly.” Adrien was going to stick with his decision to try and build a relationship with Kagami. He wasn’t going to repeat his mistake with Ladybug and pursue someone who wasn't interested. Even if she was amazing and newly confident and incredibly good looking...

_ Well, shit. I guess pursuing him was a waste of time. After my recent failures M. Agreste is sure to prefer that Ice Queen to me.  _ “Isn’t she a bit...reserved?” was all she said out loud.

Nino answered as Adrien went back to ignoring her. “Yeah, but she seems to genuinely like my man here,” the DJ put his hand on the model’s head and ruffled his hair like a fond parent. “She’s not the kind of girl I’d pick for my little boy but if she can make him happy I’m all for it.”

“ _ Dad,”  _ Adrien whined, “I thought we talked about this. No more critiquing my love life in public!”

Lila now officially had no idea what the hell was going on with her class any more. “Dad?” she asked Alya, who just shrugged.

“We can talk during lunch,” she reassured the Italian and Bustier entered, looking tired but trying not to show it. 

The red haired teacher gave her newest student a smile but didn’t warmly welcome her back as she did last time. 

“Good news, class!” she tried to say cheerfully. “I just heard from the judges and they’ve awarded our play second place in the group project challenge!”

Everyone cheered and hugged each other but no one but Alya bothered to come and hug Lila. Perhaps they were angry with her for having to bow out due to her “allergic reaction”. Or maybe they’d just forgotten she existed.

“What did we win?” Chloe wanted to know. 

“Backstage passes to XY’s next show,” Bustier tried to sound excited but she wasn’t a fan.

Chloe and Sabrina high-fived each other while the rest of the class cheered.

Max was curious. “Well in that case, who won?”

Bustier’s weak smile faded even more. “Mme. Mendeleiev’s class.”

The students cheered again, this time for their local heroine, Marinette.

“I’m not surprised. How could she not, with an outfit inspired by me,” Chloe gave her ponytail a flick.

“I can’t wait to see what she makes for you!” Sabrina enthused.

Chloe shocked Lila by smiling at the red haired girl. “Yeah, well, I just might see if you can commission something from her too.”

“Marinette’s so cool! She encouraged me and gave me good advice when I was trying to write the play. Ooops!” Rose covered her mouth and said in a stage whisper,”I don’t think I was supposed to say that!”

Her girlfriend gave her a kiss on the cheek. “She didn’t write the play for you. It’s cool.” Juleka mumbled.

“I always knew my bestie was talented,” Alya boasted with her hand over her heart. “But that Rena Rouge suit and the Carapace cover-up? Second level.”

“I wonder if she’d make me a backpack like that!” Nino imagined a shell that big would hold a lot of DJ equipment.

“That’s nothing,” Adrien smiled fondly and put his phone away. “The showstopper was that Multimouse dress, modelled by Marinette herself. She looked amazing.”

“She was so...confident and self-assured,” Alix spoke up. “No nerves, no tripping, she just owned the runway.” She grinned at Kim. “It made you proud, huh?”

Kim sighed. “My oldest friend, all grown up and modelling in her very first fashion show.” He put a hand over his heart, looking like a pleased father. “She looked so sophisticated!”

The entire class was singing Mari-brat’s praises, speculating on when she would launch her own company or join a famous fashion house. Lila was angry enough to summon a dozen akuma but no little butterfly appeared.

Suddenly Bustier found her spine and called her class to order, shutting down chit chat until lunch time.

*****

Over the course of the day Lila decided that if she couldn’t rise to fame on her own, the second best thing would be to ride someone else’s coat tails and use their connections to her advantage.

Her primary target? Mylene Harprele.

The girl was a pushover who moved aside and let Lila take her role with just a teensy pressure from Bustier and a sob story from the Italian. All she had to do was get Mylene alone so she could convince the budding actress to take her “good friend” Lila along for the ride.

She found her as she was leaving the Drama room, all full of good cheer and compassion towards her fellow humans. Time to take advantage of that.

“Hey, Mylene!”

The young actress stopped, amber eyes widening as she recognized her classmate. “Oh. Hi, Lila.” Her tone was polite but not overly friendly. The girl with multicolored braids shifted from foot to foot, looking impatient. 

Lila walked up to Mylene and gave the shorter girl a huge hug. She tried not to gag. “You were  _ so  _ good as Mayura!”

The petite girl looked surprised and happy at the compliment. “Did you watch the play from home?”

“Are you kidding? I watched it every day, the whole time I was recovering.”  _ Because there was nothing else better to do.  _ “You were amazing, just perfect. I thought you and Kim played off each other very well.” It was killing her to be so nice to the dumpy creature but if she wanted fame (and her modelling career was looking more doubtful every day) she’d have to kiss up to people and like it.

Mylene blushed. “It was great! Did Nino tell you we were on Aurore and Mireille’s show?”

“Are you kidding? I watched it! You were so calm and professional, like you’d been acting all your life.” Lila hadn’t watched it but she knew enough about people to know how to flatter them. It made it easier to string them along.

The petite girl ducked her chin, looking humble and almost cute. “I was so nervous.” She looked up at the fox-faced girl. “Could you tell?”

Lila shook her head. “No way. You nailed it!”

The two looked at each other and smiled. Time to pull out the pity card.

The fox-faced girl heaved a sigh and gave Mylene the best sad puppy eyes she could. “It’s so good you were there. I feel so awful, letting my health problems affect others like that. I wouldn’t blame you if you were angry with me.”

As expected, Mylene hastened to reassure her. “No, not at all! You couldn’t help it. Accidents happen.” She laughed a little bit. “At least there was a silver lining. The play was successful and a lot of great contacts were made.”

Lila pinched herself to give a hint of tears to her eyes. “You think...my getting sick had a silver lining? For you and everyone else?” She sighed and looked at her feet. “I’m glad someone profited off my misery.”

“That’s not what I meant at all!” Mylene was on the defensive. Good.

The Italian girl tried her best to look contrite. “Look, I know it wasn’t right to crowd you out of your role. I just...wanted to make a good impression since I’m the new kid. Everyone knows everyone else at Francois Dupont. Most of you have known each other all your lives. You’re all best friends. I just thought...if I could prove myself onstage, I might be able to know what that felt like.”

“Oh, Lila…” Mylene’s tender heart started to bleed for her classmate. She reached out to take her hand but the Italian turned away before she could.

_ Don’t touch me, you dumpy little mouse.  _ “I don’t think...people like foreigners here. I’ve heard them call Kagami an Ice Queen without even taking the time to get to know her.”  _ Who cares.  _ “And I’ve heard people from other classes gossiping in the halls.  You know some people have been whispering things about me and well I wanted to show them that it wasn't true." 

She looked at the other’s face under her lashes to see if her words were having the desired effect. Sure enough, the curvy girl’s eyes were large and full of empathy for her classmate.

“Maybe I can help!” Mylene burst out.

Lila stared at her with feigned surprise. “How?”

Mylene smiled eagerly. “I have some open auditions next week! I mean...they’re bit parts, sure but any exposure is good exposure, right? Small parts can lead to big things, my dad says.”

“Right!” Lila agreed, neither knowing nor caring who her classmate’s father was. He could have passed her in the hallway or helped her up after her “fall” and she wouldn’t have known. She only remembered useful people. Mylene was very, very useful at the moment.

The Italian tried not to sneer at the term “bit parts” and gave the shorter girl a huge grateful smile. “That’s so kind of you! You’re the sweetest!”  _ I’m going to steal every part I can from you. Why would they hire someone plain and dumpy with a model like me around? _

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “You don’t have any auditions this week?”

The curvy girl fidgeted and played with her braids. “I do...but...they’re call-backs from some open auditions I did while you were away. The casting directors want to see how I’d do with a screen partner, so…”

She trailed off and Lila forced herself to look impressed. “You must have  _ really  _ impressed them with your first audition!” she flattered.  _ Can’t imagine how.  _

Mylene just blushed, the picture of the modest but humble actress. Lila had to steal that look somehow. “Well, I hope I did. They haven’t hired me yet, and even if they do, I could still get replaced with another actress…”

The Italian didn’t want to hear any of that boring nonsense. “Can I go to your call-backs with you? Just to cheer you on. Please?” Even if she wasn’t hired (how could they not?), she could at least make some valuable contacts.

Mylene’s face fell and she looked away, fidgeting again. “Look, I’m really sorry. Call-backs are private. Only a parent or agent can go with me. They’re very strict. I’m sorry, Lila.”

“Couldn’t you sneak me in? Please? I could separate from you once we get past security and say I wandered into your audition by accident. Or I could disguise myself as your agent. Think of the acting practice!”

The shorter girl looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, Lila, but that wouldn’t be right. Some of these are for major TV and movie producers. We can’t just lie our way in like that!”

“But...I thought we were friends,” Lila made her bottom lip tremble, “aren’t we friends, Mylene?”

“Of...of course we are,” Mylene was beginning to feel uncomfortable being alone in a deserted hallway with her classmate. She wondered if she should just wait inside the Drama Room. M. Fabron was probably still in there discussing his guest list with Mme. Bienvenue…

“Are you sure we’re friends, Mylene? Because you don’t sound very sure right now.” Lila stepped closer, using her height to intimidate the shorter girl.

The girl with multicolored hair trembled, afraid of the girl looming over her. She remembered the hateful way Lila had looked at Marinette when the noirette was cuddling in her sleep with Adrien. Lila had looked...angry, even hateful. Mylene was sure if Lila could have gotten Marinette alone, she would have hurt the young designer.

“I’m..I’m sure…”

“That’s enough, Lila. Leave Mylene alone.”

The Italian sprang away from her curvy classmate so fast she nearly fell down. Looming over both girls was Mylene’s huge bear of a boyfriend, Ivan. He always looked like he was scowling but at the moment he looked downright terrifying and Lila felt like a baby rabbit in a lion’s den.

“I...we...I was just asking Mylene if I could…” she tried to say but Ivan cut her off.

“I know exactly what you were trying to do.” He held up his phone to show he’d been recording her. “You were trying to make Mylene feel sorry for you because you didn’t get to star in the play like you wanted to.”

Lila’s spine chilled as she imagined what would happen to her social status if that video got out. Ivan had no intention of blackmailing her but he would show it to everyone in their class if she made him angry enough. Time to back down and regroup. “I’m so sorry, Mylene. I just wanted to be accepted and I thought you could-”

“Mylene doesn’t owe you anything,” Ivan informed her. “You tried to steal her part and she’s still helping you as much as she can.” His eyes narrowed and his face looked like it was made of stone. “Back. Off.” 

The large boy gathered his girlfriend into his arms. “Let’s go.” 

Mylene gave Lila one last look of fear laced with pity and they were gone.

“I’ll get you my headshots next week!” she called out as the pair were leaving but they didn’t respond.

*****

The story was already spreading as she was exiting the school grounds. Classmates and strangers alike were looking at her with a strange mix of anger and pity. People who had once flocked to her for stories of an exciting life filled with celebrities turned away or ignored her. All anyone was talking about was “poor Mylene” and how “jealousy is so ugly”. No one bothered to talk  _ to _ her and if she looked at anyone their eyes slid over her as if they didn’t see her. She felt shut out.

She tried to hide her disappointment and bitterness by checking her recent texts. M. Agreste hadn’t answered her when she texted him to let him know she could now model again. Her mother had texted saying she might be home for dinner on Friday but there was plenty of food in the fridge until then and that she loved her.

On a whim, she opened the Ladyblog and looked for her interview about being Ladybug’s best friend. The video was missing with no explanation. Hmph. She supposed Alya finally “checked her sources”. Or maybe she just didn’t want to be associated with anyone who would threaten the school’s newest darling, Mylene.

Lila could feel herself fading into obscurity. No one cared about her stories any more because they were becoming celebrities without her. All the connections she promised? They made them on her own. Everyone was busy with their own lives and budding careers.

No one needed her and once the whole school heard she was trying to bully Mylene, they wouldn’t want her around either.

_ You’ll lose all your friends and wind up all alone. _

Ironic, the fate she’d tried to create for Marinette was now her own.

_ Karma was a cruel bitch. _

*****

In contrast, Marinette’s day had started pleasantly. She was awake slightly before her alarm went off and was halfway dressed before her mother came up to check on her. She was trying out a new outfit she’d made from an old pair of Mom Jeans and t-shirt she’d silk-screened with some cherry blossoms. She braided her hair and checked her appearance. Not bad. Making sure Tikki was safely in her purse, she made her way downstairs.

Her Mom was already helping her dad in the bakery but had left her a plate with yogurt, fruit and part of a baguette smeared with hazelnut spread. She ate her breakfast and snuck a few cookies from the fridge for her kwami. Stomachs full all around, she left for school after quick hugs and goodbyes to her parents.

The schoolyard was full of friends; old and new, and she gave everyone a smile and a wave as she passed. Adrien smiled and waved like everyone else but his eyes slid away from her as if he were embarrassed. Or maybe his father had been a jerk again and kept him home all weekend. She’d text Nino or Alya about it later. Her heart still fluttered when she saw him but it was manageable. Chat Noir’s kind, earnest smile flashed into her head and she tried to ignore it. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the two boys.

When she got to her locker she found three or four tributes from anonymous “suitors” and rolled her eyes before grabbing her books. To her surprise, Chloe gave her a little wave and a tiny smile when no one was looking and Marinette found herself doing the same. The blonde was trying and the part of her that was Ladybug was proud. Chloe couldn’t be Queen Bee any more, not after Hawk Moth knew who she was. That wasn’t to say her former nemesis couldn’t be some other sort of hero someday. Marinette decided to keep an eye out for the other girl.

Alya was already in class so Marinette and Kagami walked to Mendeleiev’s together.

“How was your weekend?” Marinette asked.

Kagami hesitated before speaking, which was very unlike her. “I...went out on a date with Adrien Saturday evening,” she admitted reluctantly. She examined the noirette’s face carefully for her reaction. “Is that...all right?”

“Really? That’s so awesome!” The designer was genuinely happy for her friends, even if it still hurt. It was manageable. She would be all right.

The Japanese girl’s eyes widened. “Do you...really mean that?” she asked.

Marinette smiled and let her happiness and sincerity show on her face. “You  _ know _ I do. You both deserve someone who truly cares about you, not how rich you are or family connections.”

Kagami’s answering smile was relieved. “Thank you, Marinette.”

The noirette put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You’d do the same for me.”

Marc met them at the door and with a happy smile opened it wide for them. Kagami indicated that Marinette should go first and the designer went first, greeting her classmates.

The fencer let the smile drop off her face once she was sure neither Marc nor Marinette could see her.

_ I’m not sure that I would. _

_ ***** _

The last of Mendeleiev’s students took their seats and settled down. Mme. Mendeleiev surprised them by arriving a full minute  _ after  _ the bell had run.

“Good morning, students,” she said.

“Good morning, Mme. Mendeleiev,” they chorused back.

She gave them a thin but genuine smile. “I’m sure you’ve all been wondering how we did with the contest,” she told them.

Bellamy raised a hand and waited to be called on. “How did we do?”

The science teacher looked a bit smug. “You’ll be pleased to hear we did place in the contest.” She waited until the class was nearly eaten alive with anticipation before saying, “We won.” She looked over her wide-eyed, silent classroom and grinned, just a bit. “You may cheer.”

The class whooped and held each other. The teacher raised her hands for silence.

Vivienne also raised her hand and waited to be called on. “What did we win?”

Mendeleiev’s eyes gleamed with an excitement she usually reserved for chemistry. “Backstage passes to the next Jagged Stone concert  _ and _ the next Clara Nightingale concert.” 

She debated whether or not to tell them that the original prize was from Clara Nightingale but Marinette’s “Uncle Jagged” was afraid the pop star would try to poach his favorite new designer and didn’t want to share her just yet. Eh, let them find out on their own. Even science needed a variable or unknown now and then.

Bellamy raised his hand one more time and looked from his teacher to a bin in the back of the room.

“Ah, yes,” Mendeleiev knew exactly what her student wanted to ask. “We’ll take care of that right before lunch time, Bellamy. For now, I want you all to turn to page three hundred and ninety-four…”

*****

Thirty minutes before lunch the science teacher instructed her class to put their things away and begin cleaning up. Then she motioned for Bellamy to come to the front of the class.

“I believe Bellamy had a little presentation he wanted to do today,” she told the class. “Bellamy? If you would.” She took a seat at her desk and rummaged around in it, trusting her students to behave themselves.

The blond boy cleared his throat and began to speak. “This has been a long time coming and I’m sorry it’s taken so long. It’s been a busy few months.” The class laughed and he smiled like a benevolent mother. “Kagami? Marinette? Would you two stand up, please?”

The two girls stood, looking like opposite mirror images of each other. Both looked a bit confused but curious. Bellamy stopped himself from clasping his hands in glee and hoped the anticipation didn’t show on his face. They were going to be so surprised!

He cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Nearly three months ago now, we were lucky enough to have two amazing girls join our class.” He smiled at the two girls who felt themselves warmed by his kind regard. “And in less than a week, they became part of our family. We are grateful to have both of you in our lives and we hope you feel the same.”

The class nodded in agreement and Bellamy made his way to the back of the room, opened a bin and pulled out a package wrapped in a large handkerchief. He approached Kagami and held it out but didn’t give it to her.

The class mom continued to speak. “Our brave, fierce Kagami, who never hesitates, neither in a fencing match nor to protect those around her. We are fortunate to have you in our family and our lives. We feel honored that you trust us enough to show that warm, kind heart beneath your warrior exterior. This is for you, made with love, from all of us.”

He handed her the package and the fencer carefully unwrapped it. She nearly gasped out loud as she unfurled her present.

The blanket was red with a large black dragon in the middle. The dragon’s scales were embroidered with red and gold thread and the legendary creature was coiled around a nest of eggs. Kagami was touched; they hadn’t known her long but they cared about her enough to make her something by hand, a very meaningful gift. In Japan, the most prized gifts were those that were handmade. It showed the recipient that they were so important that they were worth taking the time to make something rather than buying it. She wondered if her classmates knew the significance. Looking at their faces, she knew that they did.

Tears filled the stoic girl’s eyes and they fell against her will but she did not feel ashamed. She knew no one in this class would judge her. “Thank you,” she managed finally, clutching the blanket to her chest. “I will treasure it. It’s beautiful.”

_ Oh, wow! That’s so beautiful! I guess we really _ **_are_ ** _ a part of this class, now that we have personalized blankets. I wonder what mine looks like.  _ Marinette wondered as she waited for her turn.

Bellamy went back into the bin and pulled out another bundle which he held out to the noirette. “Our creative, empathetic Marinette, who always comes up with a solution for any problem. Who always has a kind work and sympathetic ear to share. We are fortunate to have you in our family and our lives. We feel honored that you trust us enough to share your fears and worries, so we can work on them together and can all emerge stronger. This is for you, made with love, from all of us.

He handed her the package and the designer excitedly unwrapped it. She nearly dropped it in surprise but Kagami helped her catch it. Unfurling her present, she could only stare at it, shocked and awed at how beautiful it was.

It wasn’t a solid blanket but a series of squares sewn together, all with a different theme. Kagami had knitted what could only be her family crest. Ondine’s patch was a turtle with a pearl while Jean’s had a rabbit coming out of a hat. Brielle’s was a key and Curtis’ was the hugging emoji. Bellamy’s was a heart-shaped apple and Vivienne’s snake was right beside it. Marc’s scroll and pen was surprisingly good and she loved Maison’s music notes. Zayan added her name in Arabic script next to Alicia’s tiger. Aurore’s patch was a bee under an umbrella and Mireille’s was a horseshoe.

Marinette’s nose was red and she blubbered like a baby. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” she bawled.

“Curtis wanted to add the poop emoji instead,” Bri confided, “but I managed to talk him out of it.”

“It would have been the cutest poop emoji ever!” Mariette cried, “but I love it just the way it is!”

“Awww!” the class cried, and swooped both of their newest classmates up into a hug.

The science teacher’s eyes misted just a little bit and she was grateful no one saw her wipe away a tear. “I hope you didn’t forget me!” she said and plopped a large plastic container down on her desk alongside two small gift bags. “I also made you girls some presents! And cookies to share.”

Kagami and Marinette separated themselves from the group hug and walked up to their teacher’s desk. Both opened their presents, Marinette exclaiming in surprise, “A bookmark!”

“Yes well,” the purple haired teacher shrugged. “I’m not as crafty as the rest of you. My gifts are usually restricted to logic and intellect, not creativity.” No one mentioned her attempts at drawing kwamis. “But I hope you find them as attractive as they are practical.”

The noirette held up her bookmark. It was slightly cruder than the blankets, but she could tell a lot of care went into its creation. “It’s the Periodic Table!” She smiled at her teacher. “I love it!”

Kagami also managed a smile. “It’s very appropriate, considering your last name.” She gave her teacher a bow. “I will think of you every time I use it, Mendeleiev- _ sensei _ .”

The teacher’s cheeks pinked a bit, but she would deny it if anyone asked. “Yes, well, both of you are fine students and I...enjoy having you in class.” She cleared her throat and changed the subject. “Now...take a cookie.”

She opened the container and the class gathered around to peer inside. Mme. Mendeleiev approached baking the same way she approached chemistry; add the right ingredients in the correct amounts and the results would be successful. 

The cookies, while edible, were a bit plain and dry. Everyone dutifully thanked their teacher.

Bellamy suddenly spoke up, “You know what these cookies need? Icing!” Everyone murmured their agreement. “I can talk to the cafeteria staff about letting me whip up a quick icing and then we can have them after lunch!”

Everyone applauded Bell’s quick thinking but Marinette started as she remembered something. “Oh. You’ll have to start without me. I need to talk to Principal Damocles during lunch about our quilted bedroll idea.”

Viv snapped her fingers. “Right! I’d forgotten about that. I’m glad you remembered.”

“She’s been too wrapped up in her new boyfriend,” Alicia whisper-shouted.

The blonde ignored her. “Do you want someone to go with you?” she asked the noirette.

Marinette shook her head. “I’ll be alright.” She winked at her teacher. “If he tries to give me a hard time, I’ll just think, ‘What would Mme. Mendeleiev do?’ and go from there.”

The teacher smirked as she imagined the upcoming conversation. “He’ll never know what hit him. Good luck.”

Marinette put her new bookmark in her pocket along with the charm she received from Adrien. “Thanks.” She winked at her teacher. “I might not be the one who needs it.”

*****

Principal Damocles was sitting at his desk reading an old Knightowl comic when he heard a polite but firm knock at his door. He quickly hid the comic in a desk drawer and pulled out some paperwork to look like he was doing his job and definitely not indulging one of his hobbies at work.

“Come in,” he called and was surprised to see the door opened by Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The bearded man felt a twinge of guilt as he looked at the calm, almost cold young woman. Three months ago she would have greeted him warmly, all optimism and bubbly personality. She was a little nervous and clumsy but a very sweet girl. She had been a credit to Francois Dupont before her...troubles...with Lila Rossi.

The girl closed the door behind her and stood looking at him. Her stern demeanor reminded him of both his colleague and young Mlle. Tsurugi. He told himself he was not intimidated by the new Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. He was in fact, lying.

He tried to smile and knew it was weak and timid without being able to see it. “I’m certain Mme. Mendeleiev told you the good news. Congratulations on winning the group project contest!”

She blinked at him. “I’ll be sure to pass on your congratulations to _ my class _ , M. Damocles.”

The young designer’s posture was upright, even regal and he found himself almost wanting to bow to her. His smile fell and he immediately became regretful.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng,” he began, “I deeply regret the chain of events that led to your...expulsion.” He almost shuddered when he said the word. “I was...impulsive, and…” He floundered. “Would you like a seat?”

Marinette shook her head. She might as well have been carved from stone, her face was expressionless, except for her eyes. They were...he tried not to look at them.

She held up a hand. “I'd rather not talk about the spectacular failure to observe proper expulsion procedure nor the ham-fisted efforts to ruin my reputation and protect a known liar.” Her normally warm bluebells eyes were frosted over. “I'm only here because I know you're The Owl's contact person.”

Damocles breathed a sigh of relief. His secret identity was still safe. He was afraid of what someone as angry as Mlle. Dupain-Cheng was at the moment would do with information like that.

The noirette continued to speak. “My class and I not only won your little contest, we have quite a few fabric leftovers too small to use as clothes. So we're going to cut fabric squares and make quilted bedrolls for the homeless.”

That was...frankly a brilliant idea. It eliminated waste, benefited the most vulnerable members of society and made his school look very, very good. It was a winning situation for everyone involved and just as he was about to give her his permission he stopped himself.

For the second time in as many months, Aristotle Damocles felt a current of fear make its way up his spine and lodge itself into his skull.

The girl in front of him wasn't dispirited or timid; she wasn't  _ asking _ his permission, she was  _ informing _ him of her actions. There was very little he could do but acquiesce. Otherwise, she and her classmates would find another worthy charity that would be glad to have their help. He could assist them and share the praise or they would find their own way without him.

He was reminded of the way her parents had glared at him and while she didn't have her father's sheer size or her mother's raw intimating force, somehow it was worse.

He vaguely tried to think why on earth he wrote her off as timid. Her parents seemed perfectly tamed and pleased, yet if one wasn't careful they would meet fangs and claws. The girl before gave the same aura but more controlled, as if she saw Damocles of being beneath the full force of her own glare.

He suppressed a tremble of fear as he imagined her as an adult. The petite designer would rule the world. He only hoped her reign would be benevolent. Her power wouldn't be that of an entitled rich brat or the "sly manipulations" of a diplomat's daughter. It would be an elemental force; the divine right of kings.

As if the gods themselves had blessed her.

“Of-Of course, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng,” he found himself stammering in the presence of a small girl who looked like a gust of wind could knock her down. In fact, he’d seen it happen. There was an aura of strength around the girl now and he didn’t think a hurricane could move her now. “I...I would be glad to contact The Owl and let him know of your class’ project. I’m sure he’d appreciate the help.”

“Thank you, M. Damocles, for your time, but I should probably grab some lunch before class.” Her smile was warm and innocent, an angel bestowing her beneficent. For some reason that scared him more than if she had glared at him; the knowledge that she could destroy him with a thought if he lost her favor.

“Good day, then, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. And thank you.” he thought Demeter could be intimidating but she had nothing on this tiny noirette.

“You’re welcome!” with a smile and a nod, she was out the door.

After five minutes of sitting quietly he noticed his hands were shaking.

_ If she had stayed a few minutes longer, I might have wet myself. _

*****

With a full stomach and a sense of accomplishment, Marinette all but skipped back to class. There she found her class spreading butcher paper on their workstations. There were three tubes of colored icing at every workstation. There were three more on Mendeleiv’s desk.

The science teacher looked up when she saw all of her students had returned from lunch. “Everyone here? Good. We’re going to add a little science to our treats.” She motioned from the container of cookies on her desk to the class. “I want you to take an element and draw a Bohr diagram on the cookies to the best of your ability. I have put random elements on this jar on my desk. Everyone will draw an element and then use the blue tube for protons, the red for electrons and then the yellow for electrons. Then we’ll eat our cookies. I have extra icing in case anyone needs more. You have thirty minutes. Have fun.”

Each student dutifully came to the front, drew an element and grabbed a cookie. Satisfied she’d made enough to go around, Mme. Mendeleiev sat back down and began drawing (what else?) a Bohr’s diagram for Mendelevium.

Maison grinned after receiving Helium while Curtis groaned because he’d drawn Nobelium.Most of the other students did the best they could with their elements. Kagami and Marinette grinned at each other, grateful they had received Carbon and Oxygen respectively.

Cookies iced and consumed, the students cleaned up their workstations and threw away any leftover icing before a frosting war could break out between Curtis and Jean. Mendeleiev called the class back to order and the afternoon lessons began.

*****

With only twenty minutes left in the school day, Marinette had already put her things away and was cuddling her blanket. Bellamy had washed it in lavender oil and the scent was making her feel relaxed and loved.

There was a light tapping at the door and then Mlle. Bustier poked her head in before Mme. Mendeleiev could ask who it was.

The redhead looked around the room and her eyes alighted on Marinette. She gave her fellow teacher an apologetic smile. “Sorry for the interruption, but could I speak to Marinette, please?”

“I don’t see what’s so important that it couldn’t wait twenty more minutes but I have no objections if Marinette doesn’t,” sniffed Mendeleiev, her disdain for her colleague evident.

Everyone looked at the designer, then the literature teacher. Kagami tensed beside her, as if preparing to defend her new seatmate from any and all harm. Bustier actually took a step back as the entire class glared at her.

The noirette took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She was expecting this conversation for some time; she was surprised it had taken Bustier this long to seek her out. Perhaps her guilty conscience was getting in the way, she definitely wasn’t busy being a good example.

_ That was unkind,  _ said an inner voice who sounded suspiciously like Tikki.  _ She deserves a chance to be heard as much as you do. Perhaps she wants to apologize and improve. In any case, you should talk to her, tell her how she’s made you feel. You deserve closure. _

“It’s all right, Mme. Mendeleiev,” Marinette reassured her teacher. She threw her backpack and threw her blanket over her shoulders. She had a feeling she’d need it.

She waved to her classmates as she followed her former instructor out the door. She kissed her fingers then gave her class a three-fingered salute. “See you all tomorrow!”

Once the door closed behind them Mendeleiev looked at Bellamy. “Did Marinette just give us some sort of signal?” she asked.

The boy nodded. “We’ll give her until the bell rings, then call her. If she drops the codeword, ‘hunger’, we’ll go rescue her from Bustier.” The rest of the class nodded with him.

Mendeleiev nodded back but she thought it was much more likely Bustier would need rescuing.

*****

Bustier found a conveniently empty hallway for them to talk. Marinette fiddled with the phone in her pocket but didn’t take it out. She wanted insurance. She was no longer sure she could trust her former homeroom teacher; she’d been in Lila’s sphere of influence too long. The woman had swallowed every lie the Italian had told her and had never taken the noirette’s side.

Bustier fidgeted, her smile nervous. She still thought of Marinette as the sweet, occasionally clumsy girl who had made her class such a delight. Her first instinct was to hug the girl but this new Marinette was not the one she remembered. This girl held herself tall and confident and looked the redhead right in the eye. The noirette’s eyes were wary and distrustful; she had  _ never _ looked at Bustier that way before.

Somehow the young teacher kept the smile on her face. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Marinette. I wanted to take the time to congratulate you for the amazing success of your fashion show.

“My  _ class _ ’ fashion show,” the girl corrected, “everyone did their part in making it great. I couldn’t have done it without any one of them.”

Caline laughed but it sounded high and nervous, even to her own ears. The young designer wasn’t reacting at all the way she thought the girl would. “And...and I was hoping I could persuade you to come back. We all miss you so much.”

That part was true. There hadn’t been a day that had gone by since Marinette left the class that someone, mostly Adrien or Alya, hadn’t mentioned their friend and how much they missed her. Class really wasn’t the same without the noirette. Even Chloe hadn’t badmouthed her in weeks. Their low morale just reminded Bustier that she had made a mistake and moved the wrong child.

“Oh.” The young designer seemed unaffected by the teacher’s words. “So now that I and most of my class are now local celebrities, I’m magically no longer a problem student and you want the prestige of being my homeroom teacher.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Bustier protested. Yes, it might have been a factor if she were being honest with herself, but not the only one. It wasn’t even the main one, or so she told herself. “I miss you!”

Marinette wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and breathed in the lavender. She was okay, she could do this and if she began to feel lost without a solution, her class was only a text away. Bustier was staring at her, expecting an answer.

“No, you don’t.” The noirette shook her head and stepped away from the red haired teacher. “You don’t miss me, you miss being the praised teacher with the most talented students.” She frowned up at the woman. “Even when you did all you could to put me down.”

Bustier tried to argue but the pig tailed girl just spoke over her. “Maybe that isn’t what you mean but considering you’re only coming to me after I’m already successful and happier is not making you look good.”

The literature teacher was shocked. No student, not even Chloe looked at her with such contempt. She could tell the girl had lost all respect for her and Caline knew it was her own fault.

Marinette wasn’t done, not by a longshot. More words bubbled out of her; words she had clearly been holding back for a long time.

“I was in your class for two years before Lila Rossi ever set foot inside Francois Dupont. I don’t expect you to blindly believe me when I said I didn’t cheat...even though that’s what you did for her...but you could have at least heard me out.”

The facade of indifference slipped off the girl’s face and Caline saw her true hurt. “But you didn’t. You threw me away as soon as I became the slightest bit inconvenient for you.”

Those sweet bluebell eyes, usually so alight with affection and optimism, were sad and disappointed. “And now you’re upset because you now have to do something. Teaching and maintaining order instead of sitting back and having _ me  _ take care of everyone else’s emotional well-being.” She laughed and it sounded bitter. “Everyone important that is. Not Marinette, she can just drown, right?”

Bustier felt a wave of shame wash over her as her former student continued to speak. She had failed this girl, thrust adult responsibilities onto her while lecturing her on being a role model.

Marinette smiled at the teacher; kind, but pitying. “Mlle. Bustier, you’re nice. I’d even say you care about me. A little.” She sighed. “But that’s not enough for me any more. Mendeleiev is strict but she has strategies in place to help prevent akumatizations.”

The redhead could only stand and stare as the noirette continued to sing the praises of her new homeroom teacher. “She works with, not against her students. She gives them autonomy and expects them to be smart. She has a zero tolerance bully policy. She expects a note from a doctor before she makes exceptions.”

Bustier’s heart sank as she remembered she’d accepted Lila’s tinnitus story without asking for a doctor’s note or contacting the girl’s parents. _ Marinette _ would never lie about a hearing issue.

The designer made wild gestures with her hands as she spoke. “She stood between Max and an akuma! She stood up for me against Principal Damocles. And my new class? They care about and believe in me. They’d never believe a stranger over me without facts. We’re a team where _ no one person _ is forced to do most of the work.”

That was a jab at Caline and she knew it. “But...you’re just so talented! You make organization look easy. I was just trying to give you a leadership role-”

“No you weren’t!” Marinette countered. “You were making me take care of everything and everyone. You forced me to be a  _ good example _ and let bullies and my friends roll right over me. It’s a teacher’s job to be a good example, not a teenager’s.”

Marinette ran her hands over the soft blanket and took several deep breaths before continuing. “Do you have an idea how alone I’ve felt? How stressed out? I’ve been targeted by akuma multiple times. That’s why I hide during akuma attacks. Hawk Moth has akumatized most of my old class and half my family. I’m terrified! I have stress nightmares.”

Nearly every word the girl was saying was true. She didn’t hide during akuma attacks but she did have stress nightmares about akuma, not to mention the nightmares she had about drowning in a sea of work while Bustier just stood and watched. It was cathartic to get all her old fears out now.

“I may have PTSD and you were more concerned about how you looked to others than helping me,” the girl accused.

Bustier tried to defend her actions. “You were always so self-sufficient! I never knew you needed help!”

“Everyone needs help sometimes!” Marinette threw her hands up in exasperation. “Even grown-ups! You didn’t ask me how I felt or if I needed help, you didn’t even notice! You and the rest of the class made decisions that affected me without even asking for my input.” Suddenly she felt much older and very very tired. “Why would I want to come back to that?” She wouldn’t be in a class with  _ Lila  _ when she could be with people who wouldn’t ambush her and try to ruin her life. Never.

Bustier was crying now, tears streaming down her face and dripping onto her collar. The young designer tried not to be moved. “Marinette...I’m...I’m so sorry.”

_ Oh, you’re sorry  _ **_now_ ** _. Sorry because someone finally called you on your crud and useless philosophy.  _ There was so much more the girl wanted to say but she felt she’d wasted enough time trying to make Bustier see reason. If she didn’t want to change and become better then nothing Marinette said would persuade her. The noirette sighed.

“Mlle. Bustier, you’re a nice person, maybe even a good one.” The woman wiped her eyes and smiled a bit before the girl continued. “But you’re not a good teacher. You’re an enabler who’s more concerned with appearances and being liked than being effective.”

The redhead winced as if being shot. She couldn’t disagree with anything the noirette said. But...she wanted another chance.

“Marinette,” she sobbed, reaching out, “please…”

The designer turned away so the teacher couldn’t see the tears forming in the girl’s eyes. “Apologies don’t erase your actions. If you’re really sorry, then do better for the students who are looking up to you. Be a role model. Do your job.” She turned and began to walk away. “Good-bye, Mlle. Bustier.”

As the girl’s footsteps faded away Bustier felt her legs give way and she kneeled on the floor sobbing. Everything the girl said was right; she had been a horrible teacher, she let bullies run over her and left a fourteen year old do all the work. She was a lousy teacher; she didn’t deserve her students’ love or respect.

She didn’t see the butterfly until that oily voice seeped into her head.

_ Zombiezou, I am Hawk Moth. Are you feeling unappreciated? Unloved? I’m giving you the power- _

Caline scowled, even though she knew he couldn’t see it.

“Out of my head, butterfly f*cker.”

*****

Once she was safely away from Bustier Marinette buried her face in her blanket and breathed deep, not caring if anyone saw her. She remembered the warmth and love she felt when the class gave her a group hug to fend off a panic attack. It made her smile to remember it now.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket. 

**Team Dad** :  _ Everything all right? _

**MDC** :  _ It is now. I got some things off my chest. I’ll meet you all out front. _

**Team Dad** :  _ Good. Bellamy wants to know if you need a hug. Kagami wants to know if she needs to bring her sword. Alicia wants to remind you she’s down to bury a body _ .

**MDC** :  _ Yes, No, and Yikes! _

**Team Dad** :  _ LOL, see you soon. _

Marinette headed down the hall and towards the courtyard. With the final bell, school was once again done and Marinette couldn't help but walk out, meeting with friends old and new. Her confidence had been bolstered within these past three months and she couldn't help but feel this was just the beginning. After all, she too had changed as a person and a hero, like one of the outfits she’d created. Those that had gotten a fashion upgrade.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo hoo! Thanks for all the kind comments, kudos, hits and bookmarks. And a super special shout-out to the kind soul who created a TV Tropes page for this story: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/FashionUpgrade
> 
> I don't know who you are and you don't have to tell me but I'm very grateful. Thank you!


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